Evidence indirectly implicates the amygdala as the primary processor of emotional information used by cortex to drive appropriate behavioral responses to stimuli. Taste provides an ideal system with which to test this hypothesis directly, as neurons in both basolateral amygdala (BLA) and gustatory cortex (GC)-anatomically interconnected nodes of the gustatory system-code the emotional valence o...

In a laboratory experiment seedlings of 24 perennial herbaceous prairie species were offered to the omnivorous cricket Acheta domestica in an extended feeding trial. Leaf damage was monitored daily allowing an index of palatability to be calculated for each plant species. The index of palatability successfully predicted relative abundance within the same set of species in an independently-condu...

Central insulin is thought to act at the neural interface between metabolic and hedonic drives to eat. Here, using pharmacological fMRI, we show that intranasal insulin (INI) changes the value of food cues through modulation of mesolimbic pathways. Overnight fasted participants rated the palatability of food pictures and attractiveness of non-food items (control) after receiving INI or placebo....

To examine whether various types of taste stimuli in the oral cavity elicit unique changes in facial skin blood flow (SkBF) according to the palatability perceived by an individual, the facial SkBF was observed by laser speckle flowgraphy in 15 healthy subjects (11 males and 4 females) before and during the ingestion of bitter tea, chilli sauce, coffee, orange juice, soup, and a water control. ...

We recently reported that G-protein-coupled receptor 120 (GPR120) is expressed on taste buds, and that rodents showed preference for long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) at a low concentration. We also showed that the LCFA (1% linoleic acid) increased the extracellular dopamine (DA) level in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), which participates in reward behavior. However, the mechanism underlying the invol...

BACKGROUND Short-course oral corticosteroids are routinely used to treat acute asthma and croup. We evaluated their tolerability and palatability in Saudi Arabian (SA) and UK children. METHODS Prospective observational/interview study (3 months in each country). Palatability was evaluated using a 5-point facial Hedonicscale and tolerability by direct questioning of patient/parents. RESULTS ...

While palatability depends on the properties of particular foods, it is also determined by prior experience, suggesting that memory affects the hedonic value of a substance. Here, we report two procedures that affect palatability in mice: negative contrast and flavour habituation. A microstructure analysis of licking behaviour was employed, with the lick cluster size (the number of licks made i...

Improvement of USDA Select grade beef is essential for consumer acceptance of leaner beef. Seventy-two large- and medium-framed steer calves of mixed breeding were used in two experiments to evaluate feedlot performance, carcass composition, and beef palatability. Interactions of dietary energy level (corn concentrate or corn silage), breed type (Angus or Simmental), carcass electrical stimulat...

Rats avoid a diet that is deficient in one or more essential amino acids (EAAs). This phenomenon is thought to involve the development of a “learned aversion” for the sensory properties or spatial placement associated with the deficient diet. The dietary self-selection technique has been widely used to show this avoidance of the deficient diet. Because avoidance does not necessarily imply taste...