Gustatory responses in three prosimian and two simian primate species (Tupaia glis, Nycticebus coucang, Galago senegalensis, Callithrix jacchus jacchus and Saguinus midas niger) to six sweeteners and miraculin and their phylogenetic implications

The intake of six sweeteners was recorded together with theireffects on the impulse activity of the chorda tympani propernerve during their application to the tongue. The sweetenerswere: acetosulfam, aspartame, D-tryptophan, glycine, xylitoland thaumatin. They were used at human equi-sweet concentrations.In all species, D-tryptophan was strongly preferred and gavea significant response, while aspartame and thaumatin gave neithera significant behavioral nor a significant neural response.Acetosulfam, glycine and xylitol elicited neural responses,but their behavioral effects differed from a rejection in somespecies to a preference in others. Miraculin, which has a sweetnessinducing effect in man, showed this effect only in the platyrrhineanspecies and not in the prosimian.