REGIONAL VARIATION IN SWEET SUPPRESSION

Differences in the sweet‐blocking efficacy of 2‐(4‐methoxyphenoxy) propanoic acid (PMP) for different sweeteners (sucrose and aspartame) and for various exposure areas of the mouth were found. Twenty participants rated sweetener solutions with and without PMP for sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness and umami for stimulation of anterior tongue, posterior tongue and whole‐mouth areas. For sweetness ratings, suppression was significant for all stimulation areas. In the presence of PMP, stimulation of the posterior tongue yielded significantly higher sweetness ratings than stimulation of the anterior tongue for aspartame but not for sucrose. Sourness and bitterness ratings were significantly higher for anterior tongue than posterior tongue stimulations for aspartame but not for sucrose. The increases in sourness ratings in the presence of PMP were likely because of the sour taste PMP has at the concentration used. Results imply a difference between the front and the back of the tongue in the mechanisms involved in the perception of sweetness.     

Effect of sweetener type and of sweetener and acid levels on temporal perception of sweetness, sourness and fruitiness

Sweetness, sourness and fruitiness of 18 orange-flavored solutions,with three levels of citric acid (0.75, 1.5, 2.25 g/1) and threeequi-sweet levels of either sucrose (80, 100, 120 g/l) or aspartame(0.6, 0.7, 0.8 g/l), were evaluated by time–intensitymethodology. At these concentrations, a larger range in sournessintensity than in sweetness was produced, resulting in greatersuppression of sweetness by increasing acid levels than of sournessby increasing sweetener levels. Although aspartame samples hada longer duration of sweetness and fruitiness, sucrose and aspartamedid not interact differently with the sourness of citric acid.Fruitiness intensity and duration was enhanced by both sweetnessand sourness, but to a greater extent by sourness. Whether thisenhancement is attributable to a cognitive association of sweetnessor sourness with fruitiness or is due to the inability of thesubjects to separate sweet and sour tastes from orally perceivedfruity flavor cannot be concluded from this study.     

Relationships among taste qualities assessed with response-context effects

Psychophysical judgments often depend on stimulus context. For example, sugar solutions are judged sweeter when a tasteless fruity aroma has been added. Response context also matters; adding a fruity aroma to sugar increases the rated sweetness when only sweetness is considered but not when fruitiness is judged as well. The interaction between stimulus context and response context has been explored more extensively in taste-odor mixtures than in taste-taste mixtures. To address this issue, subjects in the current study rated the sourness of citric acid mixed with quinine (bitter), sodium chloride (salty), and cyclamate (sweet) (stimulus context). In one condition, subjects rated sourness alone. In another, subjects rated both sourness and the other salient quality (bitterness, saltiness, or sweetness) (response context). Sourness ratings were most sensitive to response context for sour-salty mixtures (i.e., ratings of sourness alone exceeded ratings of sourness made simultaneously with saltiness) and least sensitive to context for the sour-sweet mixtures (sourness ratings made under the 2 conditions were essentially identical). Response-context effects for the sour-bitter mixture were nominally intermediate. The magnitudes of these context effects were related to judgments of qualitative similarity between citric acid and the other stimuli, consistent with prior findings. These types of context effects are relevant to the study of taste-taste mixture interactions and should provide insight into the perceptual similarities among the taste qualities.     

Intensity and hedonic judgments of taste mixtures: an information integration analysis

Anderson's (1981) information integration approach was usedto examine taste mixture integration for intensity and hedonicjudgments of sucrose/sodium chloride and sucrose/citnc acidsolutions. In Experiment I, total intensity and hedonic ratingswere made for factorial combinations of sucrose and sodium chlorideor citric acid. The total intensity judgments produced an integrationpattern characterized by extreme subadditivity at high soluteconcentrations. (Subadditivity refers to the tendency for totalmixture intensity to be rated as less than the sum of the unmixedcomponent intensities.) The intensity judgment integration patternswere essentially identical for the two mixture types. However,the pattern of integration for the sucrose/sodium chloride andsucrose/citric acid mixtures differed for the hedonic ratings.Sucrose tended to eliminate the unpleasantness associated withincreasing concentrations of citric acid, while it only modulatedthis trend for sodium chloride. In Experiment II, subjects ratedthe individual sweet, salty and sour components of the mixturesto determine whether mixture suppression of the component tastescould account for the subadditivity of the total intensity judgmentsand/or the pattern of results for the hedonic ratings. It wasfound that sucrose suppressed the sour component of the sucrose/citricacid mixtures more than the salty component of the sucrose/sodiumchloride solutions This difference in component suppressionseemed to account for the hedonic integration patterns of thetwo mixture types which suggests that mixture suppression isan important factor to consider when predicting the pleasantnessof simple taste mixtures.     

Biomass estimation models,biomass storage and ecosystem carbon stock in sweet orange orchards: Implications for land use management

Sweet orange has great socioeconomic value in India and other parts of the world for their important role in human diet and other properties like sweet flavour, sweet aroma, source of vitamin C etc. Despite its numerous commercial values, and large acreages under cultivation little has been studied on the role of sweet orange orchards in carbon management and environmental sustainability. Therefore, the present study was conducted to (1) develop appropriate models for estimation of sweet orange tree biomass, and (2) assess biomass and ecosystem carbon stock for sweet orange orchards in North East India. Allometric models for biomass estimation were developed using data from 58 harvested orange trees. The height-diameter relationships and allometric scaling between above-ground biomass (AGB), culm height (H) and diameter at breast height (D) were examined using various models. Total biomass carbon and soil organic carbon stock of the sweet orange orchard were estimated at 7.69 and 100.2 Mg C ha^?1 respectively. Our finding on biomass carbon stock of the sweet orange orchard was comparable with other fruit orchards across the world. However, the age of the orchard and management systems are two major determinants for carbon sink potential of such systems. We recommend upscaling of sweet orange based agroforestry for restoration of degraded shifting cultivated lands in North East India for environmental sustainability and socioeconomic upliftment of the farmers.     

Taste confusions following gymnemic acid rinse.

The effect of a gymnemic acid (GA) rinse, which simulated a sweet-taste deficit, was measured on human taste perception and identification. Taste ratings showed that GA reduced the intensities of sucrose and aspartame to 14% of pre-rinse levels; over the recovery interval of 30 min, these values increased linearly to 63% of the pre-rinse levels. Repeated presentations of a set of 10 stimuli (five primarily or partly sweet--sucrose, aspartame, and NaCl-sucrose, acid-sucrose and quinine-sucrose mixtures; and five nonsweet--NaCl, KCl, Na glutamate (MSG), quinine HCl and citric acid) for identification following water and GA rinses produced 'taste confusion matrices' (TCMs). Correct identification of the sweet-tasting stimuli was reduced by 23% in presentations closely following the GA rinse, an effect that dissipated with time. Most misidentifications involved sucrose and mixtures containing sucrose. In a second TCM experiment, GA was presented frequently within each session to maintain the sweet taste deficit, which revealed itself as specific confusions. Rinsing with GA impaired discriminability of sweet-nonsweet pairs of stimuli but enhanced discriminability of the aspartame-(NaCl-sucrose) pair. GA had no effect on discriminability of nonsweet stimulus pairs. The results suggest that specific error patterns in the TCM could be used to identify quality-specific taste disorders.     

Evolution of the Sweetness Receptor in Primates. I. Why Does Alitame Taste Sweet in all Prosimians and Simians, and Aspartame only in Old World Simians?

In the order Primates the responses to sucrose, alitame andaspartame were ascertained. All primates tested to date likesucrose and prefer this sweet substance to tap water. The artificialdipeptide aspartame was found to be not sweet in Prosimii andPlatyrrhini (New World monkeys). Only the Cercopithecoidea (OldWorld monkeys) and Hominoidea (apes and humans) show the sameresponse to aspartame and to sucrose. In contrast, all primatestested so far prefer alitame, another artificial dipeptide sweetener,which is structurally closely related to aspartame. This phylogeneticdifference is consistent with the existence in catarrhine primatesof a sweetness receptor containing two differently located hydrophobicrecognition sites, one for the hydrophobic binding site of alitame,the other for the hydrophobic binding site of aspartame. Onthe basis of these results, it is suggested that the alitame-relatedhydrophobic recognition site, which is found in the sweetnessreceptor of all primates, could be a requisite for the interactionof the receptor with sucrose, while the aspartame-related hydrophobicrecognition site, which is found exclusively in the sweetnessreceptor of Old World simians, could have been a crucial factorin the improvement in detection or selection of sucrose in foods,so favouring the mental development of these simians and maybethe emergence of humans. Chem. Senses 20: 573–584, 1995.     

电融合获得用于选择抗CTV砧木的酸橙与甜橙体细胞杂种植株

在已知参数条件下,通过电场诱导酸橙(Citrus aurantium L.)叶肉原生质体和沙漠蒂甜橙(C.sinensis Osbeck cv.Shamouti)的胚性愈伤组织原生质体融合,融合产物经培养再生出40棵植株.染色体检查表明所得到的植株具有36条染色体,为四倍体植株.再生植株具有翼叶,叶片厚,表现出多倍体的特征.采用2个10-碱基随机引物鉴别再生植株的杂种特性.在2个引物的扩增带型中,再生植株的随机扩增带图里出现了融合亲本的特征带.对再生植株染色体计数和RAPD分析的结果表明它们是酸橙和甜橙种间异源四倍体体细胞杂种植株.这些体细胞杂种植株的获得为选择具有酸橙优良性状、同时抗CTV的新型砧木提供了好的试材.     

INGESTION AND EXPECTORATION SAMPLING METHODS OF FOUR TASTES IN A MODEL SYSTEM USING TIME-INTENSITY EVALUATIONS

The objective of this investigation was to compare two sampling methods (expectoration and ingestion) of single component water solutions (sweet—5% sucrose, sour—0.006% citric acid, bitter—0.027% caffeine, salty—0.325% sodium chloride) using time-intensity (T-I) evaluations. Analysis of variance was used to evaluate significant differences. There were subject inconsistencies for the recording times (RT) of sucrose, caffeine and sodium chloride tastes among the sampling methods. No panel differences were found for citric acid duration (RT) between ingested or expectorated samples. Individual contradictions for amplitude sucrose and sodium chloride mixtures were apparent however, the panel demonstrated no differences among the amplitude means between the sampling methods for citric acid and caffeine solutions. Aftertastes for ingested sodium chloride solutions were significantly (P < 0.01) greater than for expectorated samples whereas sampling techniques had no effect upon caffeine aftertastes. Individual contradictions were apparent for citric acid and sucrose aftertastes between the sampling methods.     

Studies on after-taste of various taste stimuli in humans

This series of experiments was performed in order to evaluatethe physiological characteristics and patterns of after-tasteof various taste substances. The durations of after-taste followingmonosodium glutamate (MSG), inosine-5'-monophosphate (IMP) andguanosine-5'-monophosphate (GMP) (umami substances) were longerthan those for sucrose, NaCl, tartaric acid and quinine-HCIat concentrations corresponding to the recognition threshold.The periods of after-taste of solutions of MSG and IMP, andMSG and GMP, were longer than those for the single componentsolutions. Most subjects recognized sucrose as sweet, NaCl assalty, tartaric acid as sour and quinine-HCI as bitter, bothin terms of immediate taste and after-taste. According to thepatterns of after-taste for umami substances, the subjects weredivided into three groups. In group A, umami (appealing, savorytaste in Japanese cuisine) was the main quality of the after-tastesensation; in group B, an indefinite, equivocal taste was thecharacteristic quality of the aftertaste; and no differencewas reported in group C between the immediate taste and after-taste.These results suggest that the characteristics of after-tastefor MSG, IMP and GMP are different from those of the four basictastes.     

火龙果汁发酵饮品的研制

火龙果不但营养丰富而且具有一定的保健功能。本试验以新鲜的红皮白肉型火龙果果实的榨汁为原料,分别对发酵工艺条件、蔗糖添加量、柠檬酸用量、稳定剂用量等条件进行了研究,通过单因素试验和正交试验,得到火龙果汁发酵饮料的最佳工艺配方。采用该工艺配方制备的发酵饮料澄清透明,具有清新的果香和淡淡的醇香,酸甜可口,口感顺滑。     

Oral shear stress predicts flavour perception in viscous solutions

The perception of sweetness and flavour were studied in viscous solutions containing 50 g/l sucrose, 100 p.p.m. iso-amyl acetate and varying concentrations of three hydrocolloid thickeners (guar gum, lambda-carrageenan and hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose). Zero-shear viscosity of the samples ranged from 1 to 5000 mPas. Perception of both sweetness and aroma was suppressed at thickener concentrations above c* (coil overlap concentration, the point at which there is an abrupt increase in solution viscosity as thickener concentration is increased). Sensory data for the three hydrocolloids was only loosely correlated with their concentration relative to c* (c/c* ratio), particularly above c*. However, when perceptual data were plotted against the Kokini oral shear stress (tau), calculated from rheological measurements, data for the three hydrocolloids aligned to form a master-curve, enabling the prediction of flavour intensity in such systems. The fact that oral shear stress can be used to model sweetness and aroma perception supports the hypothesis that somatosensory tactile stimuli can interact with taste and aroma signals to modulate their perception.     

Characteristics of a rice beer (zutho) and a yeast isolated from the fermented product in Nagaland,India

Rice beer, known locally as zutho was collected in the Kohima district in Nagaland, India, and subjected to analytical and microbiological characterization. Zutho was a whitish porridge-like slurry containing 5.0% (v/v) ethanol. Volatile esters and higher alcohols, such as ethyl acetate and 3-methylbutanol, were detected in this indigenous alcoholic beverage by gas chromatography. The pH and acidity of zutho were 3.6 and 5.1, respectively. Zutho had a fruity aroma and sour taste and its unique aroma had characteristics similar to those of Japanese sake and sprouted rice sake. A fermentation yeast isolated from zutho was identified as being a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and was found to be suitable as the brewing yeast for ethanol fermentation.     

Identification of Fruity Aroma-Producing Compounds from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chryseobacterium</Emphasis> sp. Isolated from the Western Ghats,India

A fruity aroma-producing strain WG4 was isolated from a water sample collected from the Western Ghats, India. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of strain WG4 indicated that Chryseobacterium indologenes, a member of the family ‘Flavobacteriaceae’ is the closest related species with a pair-wise sequence similarity of 98.6%. Strain WG4 produces a fruity aroma when grown on nutrient or trypticase soy agar plates. The fruity aroma is more when the strain WG4 is grown on agar plates compared to their growth in broth. The aromatic compounds produced by the strain WG4 were identified as ester compounds and were confirmed as ethyl-2-methylbutyrate and ethyl-3-methylbutyrate based on Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis and using standard reference compounds. Even after repeated subcultures strain WG4 produced the same aroma in high intensity. Thus, strain WG4 could serve as a source for the production of these flavour compounds.