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Chemical Senses Sep 2016Astringents (alum, malic acid, tannic acid) representing 3 broad classes (multivalent salts, organic acids, and polyphenols) were characterized alone, and as 2- and...
Astringents (alum, malic acid, tannic acid) representing 3 broad classes (multivalent salts, organic acids, and polyphenols) were characterized alone, and as 2- and 3-component mixtures using isoboles. In experiment 1, participants rated 7 attributes ("astringency," the sub-qualities "drying," "roughing," and "puckering," and the side tastes "bitterness," "sourness," and "sweetness") using direct scaling. Quality specific power functions were calculated for each stimulus. In experiment 2, the same participants characterized 2- and 3-component mixtures. Multiple factor analysis (MFA) and hierarchical clustering on attribute ratings across stimuli indicate "astringency" is highly related to "bitterness" as well as "puckering," and the subqualities "drying" and "roughing" are somewhat redundant. Moreover, power functions were used to calculate indices of interaction (I) for each attribute/mixture combination. For "astringency," there was evidence of antagonism, regardless of the type of mixture. Conversely, for subqualities, the pattern of interaction depended on the mixture type. Alum/tannic acid and tannic acid/malic acid mixtures showed evidence of synergy for "drying" and "roughing"; alum/malic acid mixtures showed evidence of antagonism for "drying," "roughing," and "puckering." Collectively, these data clarify some semantic ambiguity regarding astringency and its subqualities, as well as the nature of interactions of among different types of astringents. Present data are not inconsistent with the idea that astringency arises from multiple mechanisms, although it remains to be determined whether the synergy observed here might reflect simultaneous activation of these multiple mechanisms.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Alum Compounds; Astringents; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Humans; Malates; Male; Middle Aged; Tannins; Taste; Taste Perception; Xerostomia
PubMed: 27252355
DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjw064 -
Food Quality and Preference Oct 2015Multiple rapid sensory profiling techniques have been developed as more efficient alternatives to traditional sensory descriptive analysis. Here, we compare the results...
Multiple rapid sensory profiling techniques have been developed as more efficient alternatives to traditional sensory descriptive analysis. Here, we compare the results of three rapid sensory profiling techniques - check-all-that-apply (CATA), sorting, and polarized sensory positioning (PSP) - using a diverse range of astringent stimuli. These rapid methods differ in their theoretical basis, implementation, and data analyses, and the relative advantages and limitations are largely unexplored. Additionally, we were interested in using these methods to compare varied astringent stimuli, as these compounds are difficult to characterize using traditional descriptive analysis due to high fatigue and potential carry-over. In the CATA experiment, subjects (n=41) were asked to rate the overall intensity of each stimulus as well as to endorse any relevant terms (from a list of 13) which characterized the sample. In the sorting experiment, subjects (n=30) assigned intensity-matched stimuli into groups 1-on-1 with the experimenter. In the PSP experiment, (n=41) subjects first sampled and took notes on three blind references ('poles') before rating each stimulus for its similarity to each of the 3 poles. Two-dimensional perceptual maps from correspondence analysis (CATA), multidimensional scaling (sorting), and multiple factor analysis (PSP) were remarkably similar, with normalized RV coefficients indicating significantly similar plots, regardless of method. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering of all data sets using Ward's minimum variance as the linkage criteria showed the clusters of astringent stimuli were approximately based on the respective class of astringent agent. Based on the descriptive CATA data, it appears these differences may be due to the presence of side tastes such as bitterness and sourness, rather than astringent sub-qualities per se. Although all three methods are considered 'rapid,' our prior experience with sorting suggests it is best performed 1:1 with the experimenter, which makes sorting relatively less efficient than CATA or PSP. Based on the evaluation criteria used here, the choice of method depends on the time constraints of the experimenter and the need for descriptive terms to understand the sensory space of the samples. Accordingly, we recommend a mixed approach that combines CATA with a subsequent PSP task so that the product space can be well characterized before choosing poles for PSP.
PubMed: 26113771
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2015.05.004 -
Food Research International (Ottawa,... Nov 2023The innate aversion to warning sensations is an important barrier to the acceptance of vegetable food often characterized by bitter and sour tastes, and astringency....
Responsiveness to warning sensations and anxiety-related psychological traits modulate individual differences in preference for vegetable foods with varied sensory properties.
The innate aversion to warning sensations is an important barrier to the acceptance of vegetable food often characterized by bitter and sour tastes, and astringency. Large individual variations exist in preference for this food category. The present study aimed at exploring differences in demographics, anthropometrics, taste responsiveness, personality traits and attitudes in consumers differing in their preference for vegetable food with varied levels of warning sensations. A panel of Italian consumers (n = 718; 53.6% women, age 18-74 years) self-reported familiarity with, preference for and choice of vegetables with high and low levels of warning sensations. Two clusters were identified: High Warning-Vegetable Consumers (HWVC, n = 464) and Low-Warning Vegetable Consumers (LWVC, n = 254). HWVC showed higher familiarity with and preference for vegetables as a whole and higher choice of vegetables characterized by warning sensations than LWVC. HWVC were more represented by older and normal weight individuals as compared to LWVC. Differences among clusters in liking for and perception of a phenol-enriched plant-based food model specifically developed to induce different levels of bitterness, sourness and astringency were found. HWVC rated bitterness, sourness, and astringency lower and liking higher than LWVC. Scores in anxiety-related psychological traits were lower while attitudes to healthy and high-quality food choice were higher in HWVC than in LWVC. The results of the present study depicted a coherent interplay among several person-related dimensions in modulating preference for vegetable foods. Higher responsiveness to warning sensations, higher level of anxiety-related traits, lower importance assigned to food healthy/quality aspects and younger age all acted as barriers to exposure and acceptance of vegetable food and call for a multidimensional approach to promote the consumption of this food category.
Topics: Humans; Female; Adolescent; Young Adult; Adult; Middle Aged; Aged; Male; Vegetables; Individuality; Taste; Food Preferences; Anxiety
PubMed: 37803693
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.113342 -
Virus Research Oct 2023Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a rapidly propagating infectious disease of cloven-hoofed animals, especially cattle and pigs, affecting the productivity and...
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a rapidly propagating infectious disease of cloven-hoofed animals, especially cattle and pigs, affecting the productivity and profitability of the livestock industry. Presently, FMD is controlled and prevented using vaccines; however, conventional FMD vaccines have several disadvantages, including short vaccine efficacy, low antibody titers, and safety issues in pigs, indicating the need for further studies. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of a novel bivalent vaccine containing zinc sulfate as an immunostimulant and FMD type O and A antigens (O PA2 and A YC, respectively) against FMD virus in mice and pigs. Zinc sulfate induced cellular immunity in murine peritoneal exudate cells (PECs) and porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) by increasing IFNγ secretion. Additionally, FMD vaccine containing O PA2 and A YC antigens and zinc sulfate induced early, mid-, and long-term immune responses in mice and pigs, and enhanced cellular and humoral immunity by regulating the expression of pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs), transcription factors, co-stimulatory molecules, and cytokines in porcine PBMCs from vaccinated pigs. Overall, these results indicated that the novel immunostimulant zinc sulfate induced potent cellular and humoral immune responses by stimulating antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and T and B cells, and enhanced long-term immunity by promoting the expression of co-stimulatory molecules. These outcomes suggest that zinc sulfate could be used as a novel vaccine immunostimulant for difficult-to-control viral diseases, such as African swine fever (ASF) or COVID-19.
Topics: Mice; Animals; Swine; Cattle; Foot-and-Mouth Disease; Immunity, Humoral; Zinc Sulfate; African Swine Fever; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Antibodies, Viral; Viral Vaccines; COVID-19; Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus; Adjuvants, Immunologic
PubMed: 37536380
DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2023.199189 -
Nutrients Aug 2020Ocoxin Oral Solution (OOS) is a nutritional supplement whose formulation includes several plant extracts and natural products with demonstrated antitumoral properties.... (Review)
Review
Ocoxin Oral Solution (OOS) is a nutritional supplement whose formulation includes several plant extracts and natural products with demonstrated antitumoral properties. This review summarizes the antitumoral action of the different constituents of OOS. The action of this formulation on different preclinical models as well as clinical trials is reviewed, paying special attention to the mechanism of action and quality of life improvement properties of this nutritional supplement. Molecularly, its mode of action includes a double edge role on tumor biology, that involves a slowdown in cell proliferation accompanied by cell death induction. Given the safety and good tolerability of OOS, and its potentiation of the antitumoral effect of other standard of care drugs, OOS may be used in the oncology clinic in combination with conventional therapies.
Topics: Amino Acids; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Ascorbic Acid; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Cinnamomum zeylanicum; Dietary Supplements; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Folic Acid; Glucosamine; Glycyrrhiza; Humans; Neoplasms; Pantothenic Acid; Plant Extracts; Sucrose; Tea; Vitamin B 12; Vitamin B 6; Zinc Sulfate
PubMed: 32878230
DOI: 10.3390/nu12092661 -
Poultry Science Nov 2018A 35-d experiment was conducted in broilers to study the effect of supplementation of sulfate or hydroxychloride forms of Zn and Cu at 2 supplemental Zn levels on growth...
A 35-d experiment was conducted in broilers to study the effect of supplementation of sulfate or hydroxychloride forms of Zn and Cu at 2 supplemental Zn levels on growth performance, meat yield, and tissue levels of Zn. On day 0, 900 male Ross 308 broiler chicks (45 ± 1.10 g) were allocated to 4 treatments in a randomized complete block design and 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. The factors were 2 sources (sulfate or hydroxychloride) of Zn and Cu and 2 levels (low or high) of Zn. The Zn sources were zinc sulfate monohydrate (ZSM) or hydroxychloride Zn. Copper sources were copper (II) sulfate pentahydrate or hydroxychloride Cu. Each of the 4 treatments had 15 replicates and 15 birds per replicate. Birds were weighed on days 0, 21, and 35 for growth performance. On day 35, left tibia bone, liver, and blood were collected from 4 randomly selected birds per pen. In addition, 7 birds per pen were used for carcass evaluation. There was no significant source × level interaction on any of the growth performance response. Broiler chickens receiving hydroxychloride Zn and Cu had greater (P < 0.05) gain: feed, whereas broiler chickens receiving lower Zn level had greater (P < 0.01) weight gain. There was no source × level interaction on meat yield. Broiler chickens receiving hydroxychloride Zn and Cu had greater (P < 0.05) % breast yield than those receiving sulfate Zn and Cu. Higher level of Zn, irrespective of source, produced greater (P < 0.01) tibia and plasma Zn levels, whereas liver Cu was greater (P < 0.05) in broiler chickens receiving hydroxychloride Zn and Cu. It was concluded that hydroxychloride Zn and Cu were more efficacious than sulfate Zn and Cu in promoting growth performance and enhancing meat yield in the current study.
Topics: Animal Feed; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animals; Chickens; Copper; Copper Sulfate; Diet; Dietary Supplements; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Male; Meat; Minerals; Random Allocation; Trace Elements; Zinc; Zinc Sulfate
PubMed: 29982614
DOI: 10.3382/ps/pey247 -
Nutrients Jun 2019Plant phenolics are powerful antioxidants and free radical scavengers that can contribute to the healthy functional properties of plant-based food and beverages. Thus,... (Clinical Trial)
Clinical Trial
Plant phenolics are powerful antioxidants and free radical scavengers that can contribute to the healthy functional properties of plant-based food and beverages. Thus, dietary behaviours rich in plant-based food and beverages are encouraged. However, it is well-known that the bitter taste and other low-appealing sensory properties that characterize vegetables and some other plant-based foods act as an innate barrier for their acceptance. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of psychological traits and PROP status (the responsiveness to bitter taste of 6-n- propylthiouracil) on the choice of and familiarity with phenol-rich vegetables and beverages varying in recalled level of bitterness and astringency. Study 1 aimed at assessing the variations of the sensory properties of vegetable and coffee/tea items with two check-all-that-apply (CATA) questionnaires ( = 201 and = 188 individuals, respectively). Study 2 aimed at investigating how sensitivity to punishment, to reward, and to disgust, food neophobia, private body consciousness, alexithymia, and PROP responsiveness affect choice and familiarity with phenol-rich foods ( = 1200 individuals). A Choice Index was calculated for vegetables (CV) and coffee/tea (CC) as a mean of the choices of the more bitter/astringent option of the pairs and four Familiarity Indices were computed for vegetables (FV) and coffee/tea (FC), higher (+) or lower (-) in bitterness and astringency. Subjects higher in food neophobia, sensitivity to punishment or sensitivity to disgust reported significantly lower choice indices than individuals lower in these traits, meaning that they systematically opted for the least bitter/astringent option within the pairs. Familiarity with vegetables was lower in individuals high in sensitivity to punishment, in food neophobia and in alexithymia, irrespective of their sensory properties. The Familiarity Index with coffee/tea characterized by higher bitterness and astringency was lower in individuals high in food neophobia, sensitivity to disgust, and alexithymia. No significant effect of PROP was found on any indices. The proposed approach based on product grouping according to differences in bitterness and astringency allowed the investigation of the role of individual differences in chemosensory perception and of psychological traits as modulators of phenol-rich foods preference and consumption.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Beverages; Coffee; Diet; Female; Food Preferences; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Phenols; Plants, Edible; Propylthiouracil; Recognition, Psychology; Taste; Tea; Vegetables; Young Adult
PubMed: 31200523
DOI: 10.3390/nu11061329 -
Food Science and Biotechnology 2017The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of ethanol (EAP) and acidic ethanol extracts (AEAP) of astringent persimmon fruits () against hydrogen...
The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of ethanol (EAP) and acidic ethanol extracts (AEAP) of astringent persimmon fruits () against hydrogen peroxide (HO)-induced oxidative stress in Caco-2 epithelial cells. Levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reduced glutathione (GSH), activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), as well as protein and DNA damage were measured. Treatment with HO induced oxidative stress in Caco-2 cells but had no effect on SOD activity. Both EAP and AEAP protected the cells against oxidative damage and exhibited similar effects on cellular ROS scavenging activity and protein carbonyl levels. However, AEAP was more potent than EAP in normalizing CAT activity and cytosolic GSH level, and in protecting against DNA damage. These results demonstrated that astringent persimmon fruit extracts were biologically active, and that the tannin-rich fraction (AEAP) possesses stronger protective activity against HO-induced oxidative stress in Caco-2 cells.
PubMed: 30263640
DOI: 10.1007/s10068-017-0156-5 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2011Astringency is an important characteristic of red wine quality. The sensation is generally thought to be produced by the interaction of wine tannins with salivary... (Review)
Review
Astringency is an important characteristic of red wine quality. The sensation is generally thought to be produced by the interaction of wine tannins with salivary proteins and the subsequent aggregation and precipitation of protein-tannin complexes. The importance of wine astringency for marketability has led to a wealth of research on the causes of astringency and how tannins impact the quality of the sensation, particularly with respect to tannin structure. Ultimately, the understanding of how tannin structure impacts astringency will allow the controlled manipulation of tannins via such methods as micro-oxygenation or fining to improve the quality of wines.
Topics: Drug Interactions; Humans; Salivary Proteins and Peptides; Tannins; Wine
PubMed: 21399572
DOI: 10.3390/molecules16032348 -
BMJ Case Reports Mar 2014A 27-year-old woman with vitamin B12 responsive form of methylmalonic acidaemia (MMA) was pregnant with her first child. Treatment was unaltered during pregnancy: a...
A 27-year-old woman with vitamin B12 responsive form of methylmalonic acidaemia (MMA) was pregnant with her first child. Treatment was unaltered during pregnancy: a low-protein diet and supplements. Her pregnancy was uncomplicated. She had a spontaneous delivery of a healthy girl with no MMA. The postpartum period was uneventful. MMA is a rare autosomal recessive metabolic disorder caused by a deficiency of methylmalonyl coenzyme A mutase or its vitamin B12-dependent cofactor, leading to a toxic accumulation of methylmalonyl acid in plasma and urine. Clinical presentation involves otherwise unexplained deterioration and neurological dysfunction, recurrent vomiting, dehydration, lethargy, respiratory distress and muscular hypotonia. Long-term sequelae are neurological problems, renal failure, pancreatitis and cardiomyopathy. This is the 11th reported case of pregnancy in a woman with MMA.
Topics: Adult; Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors; Calcium Carbonate; Carnitine; Diet, Protein-Restricted; Dietary Supplements; Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Vitamin B 12; Vitamin B Complex; Zinc Sulfate
PubMed: 24686805
DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2014-203723