Smells like fat: A systematic scoping review on the contribution of olfaction to fat perception in humans and rodents

Pirc, Matjaž; Mu, Shuo; Gino, Frissen; Markus, Stieger; Boesveldt, Sanne

doi:10.1016/j.foodqual.2023.104847

Cited by 7 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 78 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Humans can discriminate fatty acids from mineral oil through ortho- and retronasal olfaction ( Chalé-Rush et al 2007 ; Bolton and Halpern 2010 ), can discriminate oleic, linoleic, and stearic acids from each other through retronasal olfaction ( Kallas and Halpern 2011 ), and can describe the smell of these fatty acids ( Chukir et al 2013 ). Recent reviews provide further overview about the role of olfaction in fat perception ( Jaime-Lara et al 2023 ; Pirc et al 2023 ). To summarize, olfaction may be involved in the detection of solutions of basic tastants and fatty acids in animals and potentially in humans.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can humans smell tastants?

Mu,

Stieger,

Boesveldt

2024

Chemical Senses

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Although studies have shown that olfaction may contribute to the perception of tastant, literature is scarce or circumstantial, especially in humans. This study aims to (a) explore whether humans can perceive solutions of basic prototypical tastants through orthonasal and retronasal olfaction, (b) and to examine what volatile odor compounds (VOCs) underlie this ability. Solutions of five basic tastants (sucrose, sodium chloride, citric acid, monosodium glutamate (MSG), quinine dissolved in water, and two fatty acids (oleic and linoleic acid dissolved in mineral oil were prepared. Triangle discrimination tests were performed (n=41 in duplicate) to assess whether the tastant solutions can be distinguished from blanks (solvents) though ortho- and retronasal olfaction. Participants were able to distinguish all tastant solutions from blank through orthonasal olfaction. Only sucrose, sodium chloride, oleic acid, and linoleic acid were distinguished from blank by retronasal olfaction. Ethyl dichloroacetate, methylene chloride, and/or acetone were identified in the headspace of sucrose, MSG and quinine solutions but not in the headspace of water, sodium chloride and citric acid solutions. Fat oxidation compounds such as alcohols and aldehydes were detected in the headspace of the oleic and linoleic acid solutions but not the mineral oil. We conclude that prototypical tastant solutions can be discriminated from water and fatty acid solutions from mineral oil through orthonasal olfaction. Differences in the volatile headspace composition between blanks and tastant solutions may have facilitated the olfactory discrimination. These findings can have methodological implications for future studies assessing gustatory perception using these prototypical taste compounds.

show abstract