| Abstract: | The relationship between phylogeny and taste is of growing interest.In this study we present recordings from the chorda tympaniproper (CT) nerve of two lemuriforme primates, the lesser mouselemur (Microcebus murinus) and the mongoose lemur (Eulemur mongoz),to an array of taste stimuli which included the sweeteners acesulfame-K,alitame, aspartame, D-glucose, dulcin, monellin, neohesperidindihydrochalcone (NHDHC), saccharin, sodium superaspartame, stevioside,sucralose (TGS), sucrose, suosan, thaumatin and xylitol, aswell as the non–sweet stimuli NaC1, citric acid, tanninand quinine hydrochloride. In M.murinus the effects of the tastemodifiers gymnemic acid and miraculin on the CT response wererecorded. Conditioned taste aversion (CTA) experiments in M.murinusand two-bottle preference (TBP) tests in E.mongoz were alsoconducted. We found that all of the above tastants except thaumatinelicited a CT response in both species. The CTA technique showedthat M.murinus generalized from sucrose to monellin but notto thaumatin. The intake of aspartame, ranging in concentrationfrom 0.1 to 30 mM was measured in E.mongoz with TBP tests. Atno concentration did we see a preference, but there was a significantrejection of 10 and 30 mM aspartame (P |
