I cannot be strongly aware of the presence of fats and oils contained in food, but if I do, I want to eat more.How do we know the existence of fats and oils?The research group of Keiko Yasumatsu (Nakano), Associate Professor, and Yuzo Ninomiya, Associate Professor of the Five Senses Applied Device Research and Development Center of Kyushu University, is one of the nerves that convey the taste of fatty acids independently of other tastes. I found it in the department.This is new evidence that the taste of fat is the sixth basic taste in addition to the five basic tastes of sweetness, bitterness, umami, saltiness and acidity.
So far, it has been suggested that receptor GPR40, receptor GPR120, and transporter CD36 are present in taste bud cells of rodents, and that they may be receiving fatty acids.However, previous studies of human sensory evaluation, rodent palatability, and cellular responsiveness have failed to prove the existence of fatty acid-specific tastes.
When the response in the mouse chorda tympani single fiber was recorded this time, the nerve fiber showing a fatty acid-specific response accounted for about 17.9% of the total.In addition, more than half of the sweet and umami-responsive nerve groups responded to fatty acids. Fatty acid nerves were drastically reduced in mice that did not express GPR120 (GPR120 knockout mice), and in behavioral experiments using taste aversion learning, this mouse could not distinguish between linoleic acid and the umami substance glutamate.From this, it was found that GPR120 plays an important role in taste cells that sense the unique taste of fatty acids.
In this report, the body is equipped with a detection system for long-chain fatty acids including essential fatty acids, and it is possible that fatty acids have various effects in the body and can be a clue to selectively take them into the body in order to maintain health. Is shown.In the future, it is expected that it will have a great impact on food development and elucidation of the relationship with eating behavior and digestion and absorption.
Paper information:[Acta physiologica] Fatty acid taste quality information via GPR120 in the anterior tongue of mice
