Intranasal concentrations of orally administered flavors

The odorants emanating from the oral cavity during eating and drinking reach the olfactory mucosa via the pharynx (retronasal olfaction). It is unclear which variables influence the perception of intraorally applied substances. The aim of the present study was to determine the temporal profiles of volatile odor concentrations at different locations in the nasal cavity during consumption of liquid and solid custard samples using proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry. Intranasal odor concentrations were measured at least twice in nine subjects (six female, three male) at four nasal positions during the consumption of liquid and solid custards. The low-viscosity custard was swallowed earlier than the more solid one. The compounds were found to reach the nose in different concentrations. Largest maximal amplitudes were measured in the nasopharynx, whereas lowest concentrations were found in the region of the olfactory cleft. In addition, different odorants reached the different regions in the nasal cavity in varying concentrations, indicated by a significant interaction between factors "position" and "compound". Furthermore, the compounds were found to reach the positions within the nasal cavity with different latencies. These results indicate that different volatile flavor compounds exhibit different temporal and spatial profiles in terms of their intranasal distribution.