Missense genetic variants in major bitter taste receptors are associated with diet quality and food intake in a highly admixed underrepresented population.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To investigate associations between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TAS1R and TAS2R taste receptors and diet quality, intake of alcohol, added sugar, and fat, using linear regression and machine learning techniques in a highly admixed population. METHODS: In the ISA-Capital health survey, 901 individuals were interviewed and had socioeconomic, demographic, health characteristics, along with dietary information obtained through two 24-h recalls. Data on 12 components related to food groups, nutrients, and calories was combined into a diet quality score (BHEI-R). BHEI-R, SoFAAs (calories from added sugar, saturated fat, and alcohol) and Alcohol use were tested for associations with 255 TAS2R SNPs and 73 TAS1R SNPs for 637 individuals with regression analysis and Random Forest. Significant SNPs were combined into Genetic taste scores (GTSs). RESULTS: Among 23 SNPs significantly associated either by stepwise linear/logistic regression or random forest with any possible biological functionality, the missense variants rs149217752 in TAS2R40, for SoFAAs, and rs2233997 in TAS2R4, were associated with both BHEI-R (under 4% increase in Mean Squared Error) and SoFAAs. GTSs increased the variance explanation of quantitative phenotypes and there was a moderately high AUC for alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides insights into the genetic basis of human taste perception through the identification of missense variants in the TAS2R gene family. These findings may contribute to future strategies in precision nutrition aimed at improving food quality by reducing added sugar, saturated fat, and alcohol intake.

Quality Properties and Flavor-Related Components of Beef Longissimus Lumborum Muscle from Four Korean Native Cattle Breeds.

This study was carried out to assess the quality properties, components associated with taste and aroma of beef as a function of breed. For this purpose, steers from four Korean native cattle breeds: Hanwoo (n=10), Chikso (n=10), black Hanwoo (n=12, BHW) and Jeju black cattle (n=12, JBC) were used. The steers all were raised under identical conditions and finished at a similar age of around 30-months old. Following 24 h of slaughter, all longissimus lumborum muscles were collected and used for analysis of meat quality, fatty acids, and flavor-related components (metabolic compounds, free amino acids, and aroma volatiles). The Hanwoo presented a significantly higher intramuscular fat content (IMF, 22.85%) than the BHW (11.78%), Chikso (9.25%), and JBC (9.14%; p<0.05). The meat of Hanwoo breed showed lighter and redder color, and lower shear force value (p<0.05). The JBC presented a "healthier" fatty acid profiles as it had a higher total unsaturated fatty acids content (p<0.05). With regard to flavor-related components, Hanwoo also had higher total contents of free amino acids and metabolites associated with umami and sweet tastes, and fat-derived volatile compounds (aldehydes, alcohols, and ketones) associated with fatty aroma. It may be concluded that there was a considerable difference in the meat quality properties among breeds. The variations of IMF content and flavor-related components may be the main factors contributing to the typical flavors of beef among the four Korean native cattle breeds.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pathology and cell tropism in tongue tissues of COVID-19 autopsies.

Since 2019, Coronavirus Disease 2019(COVID-19) has affected millions of people worldwide. Except for acute respiratory distress syndrome, dysgeusis is also a common symptom of COVID-19 that burdens patients for weeks or permanently. However, the mechanisms underlying taste dysfunctions remain unclear. Here, we performed complete autopsies of five patients who died of COVID-19. Integrated tongue samples, including numerous taste buds, salivary glands, vessels, and nerves were collected to map the pathology, distribution, cell tropism, and receptor distribution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the tongue. Our results revealed that all patients had moderate lymphocyte infiltration around the salivary glands and in the lamina propria adjacent to the mucosa, and pyknosis in the epithelia of taste buds and salivary glands. This may be because the serous acini, salivary gland ducts, and taste buds are the primary sites of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Multicolor immunofluorescence showed that SARS-CoV-2 readily infects Keratin (KRT)7+ taste receptor cells in taste buds, secretory cells in serous acini, and inner epithelial cells in the ducts. The major receptors, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane protease serine subtype 2 (TMPRSS2), were both abundantly expressed in these cells. Viral antigens and receptor were both rarely detected in vessels and nerves. This indicates that SARS-CoV-2 infection triggers pathological injury in the tongue, and that dysgeusis may be directly related to viral infection and cellular damage.

Hierarchical Self-Aggregation of Multifunctional Steviol Glycosides in Aqueous Solutions.

Steviol glycosides (SGs) are a natural sweetener widely used in the food and beverage industry, but the low solubility and stability of SG aqueous solutions greatly limit their application performance, especially in liquid formulations. In this work, we explore the solubility behavior of rebaudioside A (Reb A) in water, a major component of SGs, with the aim of clarifying the underlying mechanisms of the solubility and stability constraints of SGs, as well as the impact on their multifunctional properties. We demonstrate for the first time that Reb A exhibits hierarchical self-assembly in solutions, forming spherical micelles first when the concentration exceeds its critical micelle concentration (5.071 mg/mL), which then further assemble into large rod-like aggregates. The formation of such large Reb A aggregates is mainly dominated by hydrogen bonding and short-range Coulomb interaction energy, thus leading to the low solubility and precipitation of Reb A solutions. Surprisingly, aggregated Reb A structures display significantly improved organoleptic properties, revealing that self-aggregation can be developed as a simple, efficient, and green strategy for improving the taste profile of SGs. Additionally, the self-aggregation of Reb A at high concentrations impairs active encapsulation and also affects its interfacial and emulsifying properties.

Sequential Enzymatic Hydrolysis and Ultrasound Pretreatment of Pork Liver for the Generation of Bioactive and Taste-Related Hydrolyzates.

In the study of protein-rich byproducts, enzymatic hydrolysis stands as a prominent technique, generating bioactive peptides. Combining exo- and endopeptidases could enhance both biological and sensory properties. Ultrasound pretreatment is one of the most promising techniques for the optimization of enzymatic hydrolysis. This research aimed to create tasteful and biologically active pork liver hydrolyzates by using sequential hydrolysis with two types of enzymes and two types of ultrasound pretreatments. Sequential hydrolyzates exhibited a higher degree of hydrolysis than single ones. Protana Prime hydrolyzates yielded the largest amount of taste-related amino acids, enhancing sweet, bittersweet, and umami amino acids according to the Taste Activity Value (TAV). These hydrolyzates also displayed significantly higher antioxidant activity. Among sequential hydrolyzates, Flavourzyme and Protana Prime hydrolyzates pretreated with ultrasound showed the highest ferrous ion chelating activity. Overall, employing both Alcalase and Protana Prime on porcine livers pretreated with ultrasound proved to be highly effective in obtaining potentially tasteful and biologically active hydrolyzates.

Non-invasive anticipation of infusion taste in fine-manipulated green teas through hyperspectral appearance analysis guided by ECG content.

The high catechin content in summer-to-autumn tea leaves often results in strong, unpleasant tastes, leading to significant resource waste and economic losses due to lignification of unpicked leaves. This study aims to improve the taste quality of summer-to-autumn green teas by combining fine manipulation techniques with hyperspectral observation. Fine manipulation notably enhanced infusion taste quality, particularly in astringency and its aftertaste (aftertasteA). Using Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLSDA) on hyperspectral data, 100% prediction accuracy was achieved for dry tea appearance in the near-infrared spectrum. Astringency and aftertasteA correlated with hyperspectral data, allowing precise estimation with over 90% accuracy in both visible and near-infrared spectrums. Epicatechin gallate (ECG) emerged as a key taste compound, enabling non-invasive taste prediction. Practical applications in processing and quality control are demonstrated by the derived equations (Astringency = -0.88 × ECG + 45.401, AftertasteA = -0.353 × ECG + 18.609), highlighting ECG's role in shaping green tea taste profiles.

Sensoproteomic Characterization of Lactobacillus Johnsonii-Fermented Pea Protein-Based Beverage: A Promising Strategy for Enhancing Umami and Kokumi Sensations while Mitigating Bitterness.

This study investigated the mechanism underlying the flavor improvement observed during fermentation of a pea protein-based beverage using Lactobacillus johnsonii NCC533. A combination of sensomics and sensoproteomics approach revealed that the fermentation process enriched or generated well-known basic taste ingredients, such as amino acids, nucleotides, organic acids, and dipeptides, besides six new taste-active peptide sequences that enhance kokumi and umami notes. The six new umami and kokumi enhancing peptides, with human recognition thresholds ranging from 0.046 to 0.555 mM, are produced through the degradation of Pisum sativum's storage protein. Our findings suggest that compounds derived from fermentation enhance umami and kokumi sensations and reduce bitterness, thus improving the overall flavor perception of pea proteins. In addition, the analysis of intraspecific variations in the proteolytic activity of L. johnsonii and the genome-peptidome correlation analysis performed in this study point at cell-wall-bound proteinases such as PrtP and PrtM as the key genes necessary to initiate the flavor improving proteolytic cascade. This study provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the flavor improvement of pea protein during fermentation and identifies potential future research directions. The results highlight the importance of combining fermentation and senso(proteo)mics techniques in developing tastier and more palatable plant-based protein products.

Tongue-on-a-Chip: Parallel Recording of Sweet and Bitter Receptor Responses to Sequential Injections of Pure and Mixed Sweeteners.

A microfluidic tongue-on-a-chip platform has been evaluated relative to the known sensory properties of various sweeteners. Analogous metrics of typical sensory features reported by human panels such as sweet taste thresholds, onset, and lingering, as well as bitter off-flavor and blocking interactions were deduced from the taste receptor activation curves and then compared. To this end, a flow cell containing a receptor cell array bearing the sweet and six bitter taste receptors was transiently exposed to pure and mixed sweetener samples. The sample concentration gradient across time was separately characterized by the injection of fluorescein dye. Subsequently, cellular calcium responses to different doses of advantame, aspartame, saccharine, and sucrose were overlaid with the concentration gradient. Parameters describing the response kinetics compared to the gradient were quantified. Advantame at 15 µM recorded a significantly faster sweetness onset of 5 ± 2 s and a longer lingering time of 39 s relative to sucrose at 100 mM with an onset of 13 ± 2 s and a lingering time of 6 s. Saccharine was shown to activate the bitter receptors TAS2R8, TAS2R31, and TAS2R43, confirming its known off-flavor, whereas addition of cyclamate reduced or blocked this saccharine bitter response. The potential of using this tongue-on-a-chip to bridge the gap with in vitro assays and taste panels is discussed.

Comparison of non-volatile compounds of Penaeus vannemei with different drying treatments via multidimensional infrared spectroscopy.

To analyze the effect of various drying treatments (microwave drying (MD), hot air drying (HAD), vacuum drying (VD), and vacuum freeze drying (VFD)) on taste compounds in Penaeus vannamei, relevant indicators such as free amino acids, 5'-nucleotides, and organic acids were performed. Multidimensional infrared spectroscopy (MM-IR) results found that there were notable variations in taste properties of P. vannamei. There were 18 autocorrelation peaks in 3400-900 cm-1 were screened using second-derivative infrared spectroscopy (SD-IR) and two-dimensional correlation infrared spectroscopy (2DCOS-IR). Variations in functional groups were the major contributors to taste profiles. The TAV of glutamic acid (Glu), guanine (GMP), and inosinemonphosphate (IMP) were greater than one and had notable impacts on taste profiles. VD had the highest equivalent umami value, followed by VFD, HAD, and MD. This study may provide a theoretical guide for the production of dried P. vannamei products on an industrial scale.

Millettia dubia De Wild. (Fabaceae): Structural analysis of the oleanane-type glycosides and stimulation of the sweet taste receptors TAS1R2/TAS1R3.

From the root barks of a Central African tree Millettia dubia De Wild. (Fabaceae), ten previously undescribed oleanane-type glycosides were isolated by various chromatographic protocols. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, mainly 2D NMR experiments and mass spectrometry, as mono- and bidesmosidic glycosides of mesembryanthemoidigenic acid, hederagenin and oleanolic acid. The stimulation of the sweet taste receptor TAS1R2/TAS1R3 by these glycosides was evaluated, and structure/activity relationships were proposed. Two of them showed an agonist effect on TAS1R2/TAS1R3.

Effects of protein morphological structures on the cereal processing, sensorial property and starch digestion: a review.

In cereals, the protein body and protein matrix are usually two morphological protein structures. However, processing treatments can affect protein structures, change protein bodies into the matrix, or induce a change in the matrix structure; therefore, the processing-induced matrix was listed as the third morphological structure of the protein. Previous research on the effect of proteins was mainly based on protein content and composition, but these studies arrived at different conclusions. Studying the effect of protein morphological structures on sensorial property and starch digestion can provide a theoretical basis for selecting cultivars with high sensorial property and help produce low-glycemic index foods for people with diabetes, controlling their postprandial blood sugar. This study aimed to review the distribution and structure of protein bodies, protein matrices, and processing-induced matrices, as well as their influence on cereal sensorial property and starch digestion. Therefore, we determined the protein morphological structures in different cereal cultivars and summarized its impact. Protein bodies mainly have steric stabilization effects on starch gelatinization, whereas the protein matrix serves as a physical barrier surrounding the starch to inhibit water absorption and α-amylase. Processing can change protein morphological structures, enabling protein bodies to act as a physical matrix barrier.

Evaluation of Gustatory Function in Patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the mucosa of the nasal cavity and nasal sinuses. Many patients with CRS complain of gustatory dysfunction which affects their quality of life. To assess the gustatory function and acuity in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis using taste strips. This is a case control study carried out at our institute from May 2021 to June 2022 on 63 Patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis and 63 normal controls. All patients of the study and control group will be subjected to full medical history taking including SNOT-22-Questionnaire, sinuscopic examination, computed tomography scan nose and paranasal sinuses using Lund-Mackay score. Taste strips representing five tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami) were used to assess gustatory function in CRS patients and controls. 63 patients with CRS and 63 healthy controls were involved in our study, age 42.05 ± 14 years old for cases and 40.9 ± 13.6 years old for controls. There was a highly significant difference between cases and controls as regard SNOT-22-Questionnaire scores and Meltzer-scores with higher mean scores among cases. There was a highly significant difference between cases and controls as regard Sweet, Salt Sour, Bitter, Umami and Total Taste score, with lower mean scores among cases. This is most evident in bitter taste. There was a significant negative Correlation between each of SNOT-22-Questionnaire score, Meltzer-score and Lund-Mackay score and total taste score. Patients with chronic rhinosinusitis exhibited decreased gustatory function compared to healthy controls. The effect was most pronounced for bitter taste.

Progress in Multisensory Synergistic Salt Reduction.

Excessive salt intake, primarily from sodium chloride prevalent in modern food processing, poses a significant public health risk associated with hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Researchers worldwide are exploring approaches to reduce salt consumption without compromising food flavor. One promising method is to enhance salty taste perception using multisensory synergies, leveraging gustatory, olfactory, auditory, visual, tactile and trigeminal senses to decrease salt intake while preserving food taste. This review provides a comprehensive overview of salt usage in foods, mechanisms of salty taste perception and evaluation methods for saltiness. Various strategies for reducing salt consumption while maintaining food flavor are examined, with existing salt reduction methods' advantages and limitations being critically analyzed. A particular emphasis is placed on exploring the mechanisms and potential of multisensory synergy in salt reduction. Taste interactions, olfactory cues, auditory stimulation, visual appearance and tactile sensations in enhancing saltiness perception are discussed, offering insights into developing nutritious, appealing low-sodium foods. Furthermore, challenges in current research are highlighted, and future directions for effective salt reduction strategies to promote public health are proposed. This review aims to establish a scientific foundation for creating healthier, flavorful low-sodium food options that meet consumer preferences and wellness needs.

Sensory Attributes Driving Preference for Wild Rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) Leaves Tasted as a Single Ingredient and as a Part of a Recipe.

Two cultivars of wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia), cv. Denver and Marte, were subjected to chemical determination of flavour-related constituents, sensory descriptive analysis, and measurement of liking by consumer test. Consumers evaluated rocket leaves both as a single ingredient and in a recipe formed by a roll of bresaola with also Grana Padano cheese. Sensory analyses showed that Marte was characterized by a more intense bitterness, hotness, and pungency, which corresponded to a higher total GSL content, mainly due to a higher level of dimeric 4-mercaptobutyl GSL. Five clusters of consumers were identified based on their liking scores. When tasting rocket leaves as a single ingredient, three clusters showed a higher liking for the milder cultivar, one cluster showed an opposite preference, while flavour attributes, such as bitterness and hotness, appeared as the main drivers of liking. Differences in liking were no longer found between the two cultivars when rocket leaves were evaluated in the recipe. Therefore, as rocket leaves are generally consumed as a part of a recipe with other ingredients instead of as a single ingredient, in the assessment of consumer preferences, it should not be neglected the influence of the way in which the product is consumed.

The characteristics and environmental significance of BVOCs released by aquatic macrophytes.

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) emitted by plants serve crucial biological functions and potentially impact atmospheric environment and global carbon cycling. Despite their significance, BVOC emissions from aquatic macrophytes have been relatively understudied. In this study, for the first time we identified there were 68 major BVOCs released from 34 common aquatic macrophytes, and these compounds referred to alcohols, aldehydes, alkanes, alkenes, arenes, ethers, furans, ketones, phenol. For type of BVOC emissions from different life form and phylogenetic group of aquatic macrophytes, 34 of the 68 BVOCs from emergent and submerged macrophytes are classified into alkene and alcohol compounds, over 50% BVOCs from dicotyledon and monocotyledon belong to alcohol and arene compounds. Charophyte and pteridophyte emitted significantly fewer BVOCs than dicotyledon and monocotyledon, and each of them only released 12 BVOCs. These BVOCs may be of great importance for the growth and development of macrophytes, because many BVOCs, such as azulene, (E)-ß-farnesene, and dimethyl sulfide are proved to play vital roles in plant growth, defense, and information transmission. Our results confirmed that both life form and phylogenetic group of aquatic macrophytes had significantly affected the BVOC emissions form macrophytes, and suggested that the intricate interplay of internal and external factors that shape BVOC emissions from aquatic macrophytes. Thus, further studies are urgently needed to investigate the influence factors and ecological function of BVOCs released by macrophytes within aquatic ecosystem.

Gut tumors in flies alter the taste valence of an anti-tumorigenic bitter compound.

The sense of taste is essential for survival, as it allows animals to distinguish between foods that are nutritious from those that are toxic. However, innate responses to different tastants can be modulated or even reversed under pathological conditions. Here, we examined whether and how the internal status of an animal impacts taste valence by using Drosophila models of hyperproliferation in the gut. In all three models where we expressed proliferation-inducing transgenes in intestinal stem cells (ISCs), hyperproliferation of ISCs caused a tumor-like phenotype in the gut. While tumor-bearing flies had no deficiency in overall food intake, strikingly, they exhibited an increased gustatory preference for aristolochic acid (ARI), which is a bitter and normally aversive plant-derived chemical. ARI had anti-tumor effects in all three of our gut hyperproliferation models. For other aversive chemicals we tested that are bitter but do not have anti-tumor effects, gut tumors did not affect avoidance behaviors. We demonstrated that bitter-sensing gustatory receptor neurons (GRNs) in tumor-bearing flies respond normally to ARI. Therefore, the internal pathology of gut hyperproliferation affects neural circuits that determine taste valence postsynaptic to GRNs rather than altering taste identity by GRNs. Overall, our data suggest that increased consumption of ARI may represent an attempt at self-medication. Finally, although ARI's potential use as a chemotherapeutic agent is limited by its known toxicity in the liver and kidney, our findings suggest that tumor-bearing flies might be a useful animal model to screen for novel anti-tumor drugs.

Current trends and perspectives on salty and salt taste-enhancing peptides: A focus on preparation, evaluation and perception mechanisms of salt taste.

Long-term excessive intake of sodium negatively impacts human health. Effective strategies to reduce sodium content in foods include the use of salty and salt taste-enhancing peptides, which can reduce sodium intake without compromising the flavor or salt taste. Salty and salt taste-enhancing peptides naturally exist in various foods and predominantly manifest as short-chain peptides consisting of < 10 amino acids. These peptides are primarily produced through chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis methods, purified, and identified using ultrafiltration + gel filtration chromatography + liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. This study reviews the latest developments in these purification and identification technologies, and discusses methods to evaluate their effectiveness in saltiness perception. Additionally, the study explores four biological channels potentially involved in saltiness perception (epithelial sodium channel, transient receptor potential vanilloid 1, calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), and transmembrane channel-like 4 (TMC4)), with the latter three primarily functioning under high sodium levels. Among the channels, salty taste-enhancing peptides, such as γ-glutamyl peptides, may co-activate the CaSR channel with calcium ions to participate in saltiness perception. Salty taste-enhancing peptides with negatively charged amino acid side chains or terminal groups may replace chloride ions and activate the TMC4 channel, contributing to saltiness perception. Finally, the study discusses the feasibility of using these peptides from the perspectives of food material constraints, processing adaptability, multifunctional application, and cross-modal interaction while emphasizing the importance of utilizing computational technology. This review provides a reference for advancing the development and application of salty and salt-enhancing peptides as sodium substitutes in low-sodium food formulations.

The effect of different drying temperatures on flavonoid glycosides in white tea: A targeted metabolomics, molecular docking, and simulated reaction study.

Drying is an important stage used to improve the quality of white tea (WT). However, the effect of the drying temperature on the key taste compounds in WT remains unclear. In this study, targeted metabolomics, molecular docking, and a simulated reaction were used to investigate the transformation mechanism of flavonoid glycosides (FGs) in WT during drying at 60, 80, and 100 °C and its impact on taste. There were 45 differential FGs in WT at three drying temperatures. Compared with the withering samples for 48 h, the total FGs contents at three drying temperatures showed a decreasing trend, with quercetin-3-O-galactoside and kaempferol-3-O-glucoside showing the most degradation. These results were confirmed via a simulated drying reaction of FGs standards. Drying at 80 and 100 °C contributed to the formation of flavonoid-C-glycosides, but only trace amounts of these compounds were observed. In addition, nine key taste FGs were selected using dose-over-threshold values. These FGs regulated the taste of WT, mainly by binding to taste receptors via hydrogen bond, hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. Finally, the taste acceptability of WT dried at 60 °C was found to be the highest, as this method could properly reduce the contents of FGs, weaken the bitterness and astringency, and retain the sweet and umami taste. This study revealed for the first time the transformation mechanism of sensory-active FGs affected by drying temperature, which provides a novel perspective for the analysis of the formation mechanism of the unique flavor of WT and the optimization of this process.

Activation of bitter taste receptors (TAS2R) protects against rotenone-induced neurotoxicity: Could ghrelin have a role?

AIMS: Bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) and their downstream signaling pathways are expressed not only in the oral tissues but also in extraoral tissues. Emerging data has demonstrated the beneficial effect of ghrelin in neurodegenerative diseases. Gaining more insight into the interaction between TAS2Rs and gut hormones may expand their therapeutic applications. Herein, we aimed to assess the possible effect of TAS2R activation by denatonium benzoate (DB) in modulating functional and neurobiochemical alterations in a model of Parkinson's disease (PD). MAIN METHODS: PD model was induced by daily injection of rotenone (2 mg/kg). Rats received DB (5 mg/kg), atenolol (10 mg/kg), or both concomitantly with rotenone, daily for 28 days. Evaluation of the motor abnormalities and histological examination of brain tissues were conducted. In addition, striatal dopamine contents, immunohistochemical expression of tyrosine hydroxylase, plasma ghrelin level, and biochemical analysis of markers of inflammation and oxidative stress were assessed. KEY FINDINGS: Treatment with DB increased serum levels of ghrelin and striatal dopamine contents with consequent amelioration of oxidative stress and attenuation of inflammatory cytokines. Moreover, DB treatment significantly ameliorated motor disturbance and histological abnormalities compared to untreated rats. Atenolol inhibited ghrelin release and abolished the positive effect of DB suggesting the involvement of ghrelin on such effects. SIGNIFICANCE: The current study suggests that TAS2Rs agonists are promising candidates for ameliorating rotenone-induced PD pathology in rats, an action that could be linked to the enhancement of ghrelin release with consequent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

Beverage Consumption and Factors Influencing the Choice of Beverages among Polish Children Aged 11-13 Years in 2018-2023.

Adequate hydration is essential for good health, and an individual's hydration status is determined by the quantity and type of ingested fluids. The aim of the present study was to determine the hydration status of school-age children and evaluate changes in the type and quantity of consumed beverages between 2018 and 2023. The study was conducted in two stages between 2018 and 2023, and a total of 1030 fully completed questionnaires were returned by the children and their parents. A comparison of the parents' responses regarding factors that affect beverage choices revealed that beverage composition was more significant for the parents in 2023 than in 2018, whereas health-promoting properties were significant for only less than 30% of the respondents. Taste preferences were important for both the parents and the children, and they were the main criterion in the choice of beverages in both 2018 and 2023. In turn, advertising was an important factor for children, and the percentage of children who were guided by advertising in their choice of beverages increased from 52.1% in 2018 to 58.5% in 2023 (p < 0.05). Daily fluid intake from beverages in children aged 11-13 years generally does not meet recommended intakes. Low fluid intake can negatively affect children's hydration status and bodily functions. Taste preferences and advertising were correlated with a higher intake of carbonated and non-carbonated sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and dairy beverages. The percentage of children who bought drinks independently and had access to SSBs increased significantly during the analyzed period. Obtain results indicate that nutrition education programs are needed to teach adolescents to make healthy drink choices, limit their consumption of SSBs and EDs, and promote regular intake of natural mineral water and non-sweetened dairy beverages.