Bitterness suppression with zinc sulfate and na-cyclamate: a model of combined peripheral and central neural approaches to flavor modification

Purpose Zinc sulfate is known to inhibit the bitterness of the antimalarial agent quinine [R. S. J. Keast. The effect of zinc on human taste perception. J. Food Sci. 68:1871&ndash;1877 (2003)]. In the present work, we investigated whether zinc sulfate would inhibit other bitter-tasting compounds and pharmaceuticals. The utility of zinc as a general bitterness inhibitor is compromised, however, by the fact that it is also a good sweetness inhibitor [R. S. J. Keast, T. Canty, and P. A. S. Breslin. Oral zinc sulfate solutions inhibit sweet taste perception. Chem. Senses 29:513&ndash;521 (2004)] and would interfere with the taste of complex formulations. Yet, zinc sulfate does not inhibit the sweetener Na-cyclamate. Thus, we determined whether a mixture of zinc sulfate and Na-cyclamate would be a particularly effective combination for bitterness inhibition (Zn) and masking (cyclamate). Method We used human taste psychophysical procedures with chemical solutions to assess bitterness blocking. Results Zinc sulfate significantly inhibited the bitterness of quinine&ndash;HCl, Tetralone, and denatonium benzoate (DB) (p &lt; 0.05), but had no significant effect on the bitterness of sucrose octa-acetate, pseudoephedrine (PSE), and dextromethorphan. A second experiment examined the influence of zinc sulfate on bittersweet mixtures. The bitter compounds were DB and PSE, and the sweeteners were sucrose (inhibited by 25 mM zinc sulfate) and Na-cyclamate (not inhibited by zinc sulfate). The combination of zinc sulfate and Na-cyclamate most effectively inhibited DB bitterness (86%) (p &lt; 0.0016), whereas the mixture\u27s inhibition of PSE bitterness was not different from that of Na-cyclamate alone. Conclusion A combination of Na-cyclamate and zinc sulfate was most effective at inhibiting bitterness. Thus, the combined use of peripheral oral and central cognitive bitterness reduction strategies should be particularly effective for improving the flavor profile of bitter-tasting foods and pharmaceutical formulations. <br /

Chemistry and health of olive oil phenolics

The Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower incidence of atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer. The apparent health benefits have been partially attributed to the dietary consumption of virgin olive oil by Mediterranean populations. Most recent interest has focused on the biologically active phenolic compounds naturally present in virgin olive oils. Studies (human, animal, in vivo and in vitro) have shown that olive oil phenolics have positive effects on certain physiological parameters, such as plasma lipoproteins, oxidative damage, inflammatory markers, platelet and cellular function, and antimicrobial activity. Presumably, regular dietary consumption of virgin olive oil containing phenolic compounds manifests in health benefits associated with a Mediterranean diet. This paper summarizes current knowledge on the physiological effects of olive oil phenolics. Moreover, a number of factors have the ability to affect phenolic concentrations in virgin olive oil, so it is of great importance to understand these factors in order to preserve the essential health promoting benefits of olive oil phenolic compounds.<br /

The concentration of oleocanthal in olive oil waste

The aim of this study was to determine the concentration of oleocanthal in olive pomace waste and compare this to its concentration in extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO). The concentration of oleocanthal in freshly pressed EVOO and its subsequent waste was analysed at early, mid and late season harvests. Oleocanthal concentrations were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography&ndash;mass spectrometry. In oil, oleocanthal concentration was as follows: 123.24 &plusmn; 6.48 mg kg&macr;&sup1;1 in early harvest, 114.20 &plusmn; 17.42 mg kg&macr;&sup1; in mid harvest and 152.22 &plusmn; 10.54 mg kg&macr;&sup1; in late harvest. Its concentration in waste was determined to be: 128.25 &plusmn; 11.33 mg kg&macr;&sup1; in early harvest, 112.15 &plusmn; 1.51mg kg&macr;&sup1; in mid harvest and 62.35 &plusmn; 8.00 mg kg&macr;&sup1; in late harvest. Overall, olive pomace waste is a valuable source of oleocanthal.<br /

A prospective cohort study of the effects of adjuvant breast cancer chemotherapy on taste function, food liking, appetite and associated nutritional outcomes

\u27Taste\u27 changes are commonly reported during chemotherapy. It is unclear to what extent this relates to actual changes in taste function or to changes in appetite and food liking and how these changes affect dietary intake and nutritional status

A Robust Solution Procedure for Hyperelastic Solids with Large Boundary Deformation

Compressible Mooney-Rivlin theory has been used to model hyperelastic solids, such as rubber and porous polymers, and more recently for the modeling of soft tissues for biomedical tissues, undergoing large elastic deformations. We propose a solution procedure for Lagrangian finite element discretization of a static nonlinear compressible Mooney-Rivlin hyperelastic solid. We consider the case in which the boundary condition is a large prescribed deformation, so that mesh tangling becomes an obstacle for straightforward algorithms. Our solution procedure involves a largely geometric procedure to untangle the mesh: solution of a sequence of linear systems to obtain initial guesses for interior nodal positions for which no element is inverted. After the mesh is untangled, we take Newton iterations to converge to a mechanical equilibrium. The Newton iterations are safeguarded by a line search similar to one used in optimization. Our computational results indicate that the algorithm is up to 70 times faster than a straightforward Newton continuation procedure and is also more robust (i.e., able to tolerate much larger deformations). For a few extremely large deformations, the deformed mesh could only be computed through the use of an expensive Newton continuation method while using a tight convergence tolerance and taking very small steps.Comment: Revision of earlier version of paper. Submitted for publication in Engineering with Computers on 9 September 2010. Accepted for publication on 20 May 2011. Published online 11 June 2011. The final publication is available at http://www.springerlink.co

Cross-sectional study of 24-hour urinary electrolyte excretion and associated health outcomes in a convenience sample of Australian primary schoolchildren: the salt and other nutrients in children (SONIC) study protocol

BACKGROUND: Dietary sodium and potassium are involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Data exploring the cardiovascular outcomes associated with these electrolytes within Australian children is sparse. Furthermore, an objective measure of sodium and potassium intake within this group is lacking. OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of the Salt and Other Nutrient Intakes in Children (&quot;SONIC&quot;) study was to measure sodium and potassium intakes in a sample of primary schoolchildren located in Victoria, Australia, using 24-hour urine collections. Secondary aims were to identify the dietary sources of sodium and potassium, examine the association between these electrolytes and cardiovascular risk factors, and assess children\u27s taste preferences and saltiness perception of manufactured foods. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a convenience sample of schoolchildren attending primary schools in Victoria, Australia. Participants completed one 24-hour urine collection, which was analyzed for sodium, potassium, and creatinine. Completeness of collections was assessed using collection time, total volume, and urinary creatinine. One 24-hour dietary recall was completed to assess dietary intake. Other data collected included blood pressure, body weight, height, waist and hip circumference. Children were also presented with high and low sodium variants of food products and asked to discriminate salt level and choose their preferred variant. Parents provided demographic information and information on use of discretionary salt. Descriptive statistics will be used to describe sodium and potassium intakes. Linear and logistic regression models with clustered robust standard errors will be used to assess the association between electrolyte intake and health outcomes (blood pressure and body mass index/BMI z-score and waist circumference) and to assess differences in taste preference and discrimination between high and low sodium foods, and correlations between preference, sodium intake, and covariates. RESULTS: A total of 780 children across 43 schools participated. The results from this study are expected at the end of 2015. CONCLUSIONS: This study will provide the first objective measure of sodium and potassium intake in Australian schoolchildren and improve our understanding of the relationship of these electrolytes to cardiovascular risk factors. Furthermore, this study will provide insight into child taste preferences and explore related factors. Given the cardiovascular implications of consuming too much sodium and too little potassium, monitoring of these nutrients during childhood is an important public health initiative

ESTUDIOS SOBRE LA SUSTENTABILIDAD EN SISTEMAS DE PRODUCCIÓN DE LECHE EN PEQUEÑA ESCALA

Los sistemas de producción de leche en pequeña escala juegan un rol relevante en el desarrollo del sector rural, son una herramienta para aliviar la pobreza y permitir a las familias campesinas acceder a una mejor calidad de vida, mediante la generación de autoempleos y remuneración diaria, tanto al interior de las UPL como a la gente que es contratada por estos sistemas tanto de forma temporal como permanente, lo que permite generar arraigo a las zonas rurales. Las políticas públicas a nivel internacional demandan sistemas de producción sustentables, que sean capaces de brindar una adecuada calidad de vida en las zonas donde se encuentran, permitiendo conservar el medioambiente, siendo socialmente justos y económicamente eficientes. En México existe la ley de desarrollo rural sustentable que le da el énfasis de política pública para que los sistemas de producción se encaminen a cumplir lineamientos de desarrollo sustentable. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el impacto de la implementación de innovaciones en el nivel de sostenibilidad de los sistemas de producción de leche en pequeña escala durante un ciclo anual de producción, se realizó en dos partes, la primera parte estuvo enfocada al efecto sobre los costos de alimentación por la implementación del pastoreo continuo intensivo, y la segunda al efecto de la implementación de innovaciones (pastoreo continuo intensivo y ensilado de maíz) sobre el nivel de sustentabilidad de los sistemas de producción de leche en pequeña escala. El análisis económico para identificar el efecto de la implementación de las innovaciones fue realizado mediante la metodología de presupuestos parciales, y la evaluación de las sustentabilidad se realizó a partir del método IDEA (Indicateurs de Durabilité des Exploitations Agricoles - Indicadores de Sustentabilidad de Explotaciones Agropecuarias) con adecuaciones conforme a la zona de estudio. El estudio se realizó en 24 UPL en el municipio de Aculco en el Estado de México, se recolecto información de las UPL mensualmente durante el año 2015 mediante encuestas semiestructuradas.Evaluación de la Sostenibilidad de los Sistemas de Producción de Leche en Pequeña Escala”, Clave 129449 CB-200

Measuring oral fatty acid thresholds, fat perception, fatty food liking, and papillae density in humans

Oral chemoreception of fatty acids and the association with diet and fatty food preferences may enable the identification of mechanisms involved with the development of obesity and why dietary changes may be difficult for many individuals

The effect of zinc on human taste perception

Zinc salts are added as a nutritional or functional ingredient in food and oral care products. The 1st experiment in this study investigated the taste and somatosensory effect of zinc salts (chloride, iodide, sulfate, bromide, acetate). The zinc salts had very little taste (bitter, salty, savory, sour, sweet), and the taste that was present was easily washed away with water rinses. The major oral quality of zinc was astringency, and the astringency lingered beyond expectoration. The 2nd experiment combined zinc salts with prototypical stimuli eliciting basic tastes. Zinc was a potent inhibitor of sweetness and bitterness (&gt;70% reduction in taste) but did not affect salt, savory, or sour taste.<br /