Department of Foods and Nutrition, Purdue University, 700 W State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2059, USA.
Physiol Behav. 2011 Sep 26;104(4):624-31. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.05.002. Epub 2011 May 6.
The requisite criteria for what constitutes a taste primary have not been established. Recent advances in understanding of the mechanisms and functions of taste have prompted suggestions for an expanded list of unique taste sensations, including fat, or more specifically, free fatty acids (FFA). A set of criteria are proposed here and the data related to FFA are reviewed on each point. It is concluded that the data are moderate to strong that there are: A) adaptive advantages to FFA detection in the oral cavity; B) adequate concentrations of FFA to serve as taste stimuli; C) multiple complimentary putative FFA receptors on taste cells; D) signals generated by FFA that are conveyed by gustatory nerves; E) sensations generated by FFA that can be detected and scaled by psychophysical methods in humans when non-gustatory cues are masked; and F) physiological responses to oral fat/FFA exposure. On no point is there strong evidence challenging these observations. The reviewed findings are suggestive, albeit not definitive, that there is a taste component for FFA.
作为一种味觉基本味的必备条件尚未确定。近年来，人们对味觉的机制和功能的理解有了新的进展，这促使人们提出了一份更广泛的独特味觉清单，其中包括脂肪，或者更具体地说，游离脂肪酸（FFA）。本文提出了一套标准，并就每一点审查了与 FFA 相关的数据。结论是，有中等至强有力的数据表明：A）口腔中检测 FFA 具有适应性优势；B）FFA 的浓度足以作为味觉刺激物；C）味觉细胞上存在多种互补的假定 FFA 受体；D）FFA 产生的信号通过味觉神经传递；E）在非味觉线索被掩盖的情况下，人类可以通过心理物理方法检测和量化由 FFA 产生的感觉；以及 F）对口腔脂肪/FFA 暴露的生理反应。在任何一点上，都没有强有力的证据对这些观察结果提出质疑。已审查的发现表明，虽然不是定论，但 FFA 具有味觉成分。
