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Regional Differences in Suprathreshold Intensity for Bitter and Umami Stimuli

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Chemosensory Perception

Abstract

The sense of taste is often referred to as a ‘nutritional gatekeeper’, thought to have evolved to indicate energy sources and prevent ingestion of potential toxins. Fungiform papillae are structures on the anterior tongue in which taste buds are situated. They are concentrated at the tongue’s tip and they can provide a useful estimate of overall taste bud density for taste research. Some reports suggest taste perception may differ subtly across tongue regions, irrespective of FP number. Other data show an association between taste intensity perception for the bitter compound 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) and FP density. However, contradictions exist in the literature, with more recent, larger studies suggesting little or no association between FP number and perceived taste intensity. Many studies have examined the relation between FP density and PROP perception, while other tastes have been less thoroughly studied. Here, in a cohort of mainly Caucasian individuals, aged 18–45 years, recruited from the campus of a large rural university, we examined regional and whole mouth taste intensities, and FP density using an updated method of a digital still photography method first described in 2005. We found regional differences in suprathreshold intensity. Although all taste sensations were experienced all over the tongue, once again disproving the mythical tongue map, we also observed bitter and umami taste perceptions to be significantly greater on the posterior tongue than on the anterior tongue. In contrast, there were no regional differences observed for sweet, salty, or sour tastes. The relation of FP density to whole mouth intensity of 6-n-propylthiouracil and to the intensity of saltiness of NaCl, sweetness from sucrose or from Acesulfame-K, bitterness of quinine, or burning from capsaicin delivered to different regions of the tongue are also discussed.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would also like to thank Alissa L. Allen and Amanda Hofstaedter for counting papillae; Alissa L. Allen, Nadia K. Byrnes, and Meghan Kane for psychophysical data collection; and Samantha M. Bennett for assistance with protocol development. We also thank our study participants for their time and participation.

Funding

This work was supported by funds from Pennsylvania State University, United States Department of Agriculture Hatch Project PEN04332 funds and a National Institutes of Health grant from the National Institute National of Deafness and Communication Disorders [DC010904].

Compliance with Ethics Requirements

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Conflict of Interest

Dr. Emma L. Feeney declares she has no conflict of interest. Dr. John E. Hayes has previously accepted speaking and/or consulting fees from Tate & Lyle PLC, Symrise AG, Pepisco, and General Mills, Inc. for unrelated work. He has also served on the Scientific Advisory Board of Medifast, Inc. His laboratory conducts routine taste tests for industrial clients to facilitate practical student training. None of these organizations have had any influence over study conception, design or interpretation, or the decision to publish these data.

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008. Informed consent was obtained from all participants included in the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sensory Evaluation Center, College of Agricultural Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Emma L. Feeney & John E. Hayes

  2. Department of Food Science, College of Agricultural Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Emma L. Feeney & John E. Hayes

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  1. Emma L. Feeney
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  2. John E. Hayes
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Correspondence to John E. Hayes.

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Feeney, E.L., Hayes, J.E. Regional Differences in Suprathreshold Intensity for Bitter and Umami Stimuli. Chem. Percept. 7, 147–157 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12078-014-9166-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12078-014-9166-3

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