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Influence of bitter taste on mastication pattern
E Neyraud1, M A Peyron, C Vieira
1Station de Recherches sur la Viande, INRA-Theix. 63122 Saint Genes-Champanelle, France.
Journal of Dental Research
|February 23, 2005
Summary
Taste perception influences chewing behavior. As bitterness increased, subjects chewed less, impacting food breakdown and oral processing time.
Area of Science:
- Oral sensory science
- Neuroscience of taste and mastication
Background:
- Mastication is a complex motor activity modulated by oral sensory feedback.
- Understanding how taste influences the mechanical breakdown of food is crucial for food science and nutrition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of taste cognition, specifically bitterness, on the masticatory process.
- To determine if varying quinine concentrations affect chewing behavior and oral processing.
Main Methods:
- Subjects masticated firm gelatine gels with increasing quinine concentrations (up to 1500 micromol/kg).
- Electromyography (EMG) recorded masticatory muscle activity.
- Saliva composition and taste intensity were measured.
Main Results:
- Increasing quinine concentration decreased the average number of chews (from 30 to 22) and increased oral clearance time (from 7 to 14 sec).
- Chewing frequency (1.3 Hz) and salivation rate (5.5 g/min) remained unaffected by quinine concentration.
- Perceived bitterness increased, while acceptability and sweetness decreased with higher quinine levels.
Conclusions:
- Taste cognition significantly modifies food breakdown during mastication.
- Bitterness acts as a key sensory cue influencing chewing duration and efficiency.