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Effects of chlorhexidine on human taste perception
M E Frank1, J F Gent, T P Hettinger
1Division of Neurosciences, Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dental Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Taste and Smell Center MC 1718, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030-1718, USA. mfrank@neuron.uchc.edu
Physiology & Behavior
|September 21, 2001
Summary
Chlorhexidine, an antiseptic, significantly reduces the perception of saltiness and bitterness in humans. This finding offers insights into the mechanisms of taste perception, particularly for salty and bitter tastes.
Area of Science:
- Taste perception
- Neuroscience
- Sensory science
Background:
- Chlorhexidine is a bis-cationic biguanide antiseptic.
- Its effects on human taste perception are not fully understood.
- Understanding taste mechanisms is crucial for various applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of chlorhexidine on the perception of different taste qualities.
- To explore chlorhexidine's potential as a probe for taste transduction mechanisms.
- To determine the duration of chlorhexidine's effects on taste.
Main Methods:
- Human subjects were treated with chlorhexidine gluconate.
- Perceptual intensity ratings and quality identification were measured.
- Taste-quality prototypes and various salts were used as stimuli.
Main Results:
- Chlorhexidine reduced the perceived intensity of salty and bitter tastes, with effects lasting up to 30 minutes.
- It specifically reduced saltiness in a range of salts, except those with divalent cations.
- Chlorhexidine impaired the identification of saltiness and bitterness, and induced bitterness in some non-bitter salts.
Conclusions:
- Chlorhexidine acts as a specific disruptor of saltiness perception, supporting theories of peripheral ion transport in salt taste transduction.
- Its effect on quinine bitterness suggests a potential interaction with the quinine receptor.
- Chlorhexidine is a valuable tool for probing the mechanisms of human taste perception.
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