Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Chemical stimulus determinants of cat neural taste responses to meats

  • Published:
Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society

Abstract and Summary

The cat taste system was studied by recording single unit pulse signals from neurons innervating chemoreceptors on the fungiform papillae on the tongue. On the basis of neurophysiological measures, these units have been divided into three separate functional groups. Group I units respond to acids in general, but at neutral pH the most effective stimuli are certain nitrogen compounds. Compounds with an imidazole ring such as L-histidine, 1-methyl imidazole, anserine and carnosine prove to be effective group I stimuli. Group II units are responsive to amino acids, especially L-proline and L-cysteine, to the di- and triphosphate nucleosides, and to some inorganic salts. Group III unit stimuli are less well defined but these units are among those maximally discharged by nucleotides. The most effective compounds for stimulating both Group I and Group II units are certain nitrogen heterocycles.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Boudreau, J.C., E. Bradley, P.R. Bierer, S. Kruger, and C. Tsuchitani, Exp. Brain Res. 13:461 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Boudreau, J.C., and N. Alev, Brain Res. 54:157 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Boudreau, J.C., W. Anderson, and J. Oravec, Chem. Senses and Flavor 1:495 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Boudreau, J.C., V. Collings, I. Oravec, W. Anderson, and T.E. Nelson, “Sulfur, Nitrogen, and Phenolic Compounds in Food Flavor, ACS Symposium Series,” Amer. Chem. Soc, Wash. D.C., 1976.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Boudreau, J.C., and T.E. Nelson, Chem. Senses and Flavor (In press).

  6. Solms, J., “Gustation and Olfaction, an International Sym- posium,” Academic Press, New York, NY, 1971, pp. 92–110.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Ninomiya, T., S. Ikeda, S. Yamaguchi, and T. Yoshikawa, Rep. 7th Sensory Evaluation Symposium, JUSE, 109-123 (1966).

  8. White, T.D., and J.C. Boudreau, Physiol. Psychol. 3:405 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Carpenter, J.A., J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol. 48:139 (1956).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Bartoshuk, L.M., Ibid. 89:971 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Yamaguchi, S., T. Yoshikawa, S. Ikeda, and T. Ninomiya, J. Food Sci., 36:846(1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Chang, S.S., Symposium on the Instrumental Analysis of Flavor and Flavor Stability of Fats and Fatty Foods, AOCS Spring Meeting, New Orleans, April 1976.

  13. Hashida, W., Food Trade Rev. 44:21 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Herz, K.O., and S.S. Chang, Adv. in Food Res’. 18:1 (1970).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Wilson, R.A., and I. Katz, Flavour Industry 5:1 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Wilson, R.A., J. Agr. Food Chem. 23:1032 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sensory Sciences Center, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center, 77030, Houston, TX

    J. C. Boudreau

Authors
  1. J. C. Boudreau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Presented at the AOCS Meeting, New Orleans, April 1976.

About this article

Cite this article

Boudreau, J.C. Chemical stimulus determinants of cat neural taste responses to meats. J Am Oil Chem Soc 54, 464–466 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02671037

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02671037

Keywords

Search

Navigation