The Association Between Quinine Hydrochloride Sensitivity and Disgust Proneness in Children and Adults

Abstract

Introduction Humans are very sensitive to several bitter compounds, although there is great inter-individual variability in the elicited emotional (e.g., disgust) and somatic (e.g., nausea) responses. The variability might be associated with the personality trait "disgust proneness" (DP; general tendency to respond with the emotion of disgust). Method This study examined the relationship between the sensitivity to quinine hydrochloride and DP in children (63 boys and 67 girls; mean age = 8.5 years) and adults (107 men, 95 women; mean age = 29.4 years). Each participant rated the perceived taste intensity of four gustatory stimuli (sucrose, 0.4 g/ml; sodium chloride, 0.25 g/ml; quinine hydrochloride, 0.006 g/ml; citric acid, 0.3 g/ml) and completed questionnaires that assessed the proneness to experience disgust, anxiety, and depressed mood. Results The computed multiple linear regression analyses for the adults showed that DP but no other trait measure was associated with bitter sensitivity. In children, depression proneness and age were predictors of bitter sensitivity. Conclusions This study revealed age-dependent correlations between DP and bitter sensitivity. Implications This finding points to the dynamic features of taste sensitivity (and possibly DP) across the lifespan. Therefore, longitudinal studies are warranted.

Disgust Propensity and the Bitter Aftertaste Response

“…Additionally, at the beginning of the experiment, the participants with high DP/DS rated the aftertaste as more disgusting and bitter than the participants with low questionnaire scores. Thus, we were able to replicate previous findings on the relationship between DP/DS and bitter sensitivity (Herz 2011;Herbert et al 2014;Schienle and Schlintl 2019;Schienle et al 2015).…”

“…Thomas et al (2014) observed lowered bitter sensitivity in anhedonia. Schienle and Schlintl (2019) identified trait depression as a negative predictor of bitter sensitivity (quinine) in children but not in adults. Similar, in a study by Arrondo et al (2015), adult patients with a diagnosis of major depression and healthy controls did not differ in their quinine sensitivity.…”

“…Similar associations have been found for other bitter compounds. Schienle and Schlintl (2019) showed that a high sensitivity to quinine hydrochloride was correlated with high scores on a questionnaire for the assessment of disgust propensity. Thus, there is convergent evidence for a connection between the ability to perceive bitterness and the personality trait disgust propensity.…”

The processing of visual food cues during bitter aftertaste perception in females with high vs. low disgust propensity: an fMRI study

“…Rozin et al ( 2009 ) proposed a ‘bitter-disgust link’, suggesting a positive association between disgust propensity and bitter sensitivity. In line with this assumption, previous research has shown that individuals who were very sensitive to the bitter compounds 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) and quinine hydrochloride scored higher on DP questionnaires than individuals with low bitter sensitivity (Herz 2011 ; Herbert et al 2014 ; Schienle and Schlintl 2019 ). These studies underline the close connection between bitter taste perception and DP.…”

“…The sample was restricted to female participants since females typically report higher DP than men (e.g., Schienle et al 2002b ). Based on findings of individual variation in bitter sensitivity associated with DP (e.g., Herz 2011 ; Herbert et al 2014 ; Schienle and Schlintl 2019 ), it was predicted that high disgust-prone females would rate the wormwood tea as more bitter and disgusting, compared to low disgust-prone females. Additionally, the DP_high group should show a more pronounced reduction of the appetitive value of sweet food cues that are coupled with a bitter taste than the DP_low group.…”