Developmental changes in sugar and starch taste preferences in young rats

Area of Science:

• Animal Behavior
• Sensory Science
• Nutritional Neuroscience

Background:

• Neonatal and adult rats exhibit attraction to both sugars and starch-derived polysaccharides.
• Understanding taste preference development is crucial for comprehending dietary habits and nutritional intake.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the developmental changes in taste preference between sweet (sucrose) and starchy (Polycose) tastes in rats.
• To determine if this preference differs between sexes during the postweaning to adulthood period.

Main Methods:

• Rats (male and female) underwent 9 weeks of daily one-solution and two-solution preference tests (28 to 98 days of age).
• Sucrose and Polycose solutions at 2% and 0.06 M concentrations were used to assess preference and acceptance relative to water.
• Dilute solutions minimized potential postingestive influences.

Main Results:

• Rats consistently preferred sucrose over Polycose, with this preference intensifying over the 9-week testing period.
• Sucrose acceptance increased relative to Polycose after the third week of testing.
• While initially preferring Polycose at 0.06 M, rats shifted to preferring sucrose by week 5.

Conclusions:

• The relative preference for sweet taste over starchy taste significantly increases with age in rats during the postweaning to adulthood phase.
• Sweet taste preference was marginally stronger in male rats than in female rats, contrasting with some prior research.