Leibniz-Institute for Food System Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising.
Research Department Nutrition and Food Sciences of the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany.
Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2020 Apr;27(2):110-114. doi: 10.1097/MED.0000000000000531.
Numerous studies have pointed to profound nongustatory roles of tastants and the corresponding taste receptors expressed in the alimentary canal in the modulation of digestive and metabolic functions. Already in early reports, the intriguing possibility to use tastants as drug-like effectors for the treatment of metabolic diseases was raised. With this review, focusing on the most recent literature, we intend to question how close we meanwhile came to the initial promise - the use of tastants as medicines.
Although the enormous complexity and experimental variability of studies investigating the effects of tastants on physiological functions still has not revealed a common fundament from which subsequent therapeutic measures could be designed, more and more evidence is mounting on an involvement of taste receptors and taste signaling molecules in the maintenance and fine regulation of gastrointestinal functions and immunity.
Although the initial goal - using tastants to treat metabolic disorders - has, by far, not been reached, numerous promising findings suggest that dietary interventions could be devised to support conventional therapies in the future.
目的综述：大量研究表明，消化道中表达的味觉物质及其相应的味觉受体具有重要的非味觉作用，可调节消化和代谢功能。早期的报告就提出了一个有趣的可能性，即使用味觉物质作为类似药物的效应物来治疗代谢疾病。本综述重点关注最新文献，旨在探讨我们目前距离最初的承诺——将味觉物质用作药物——有多近。
最新发现：尽管研究味觉物质对生理功能影响的实验具有巨大的复杂性和变异性，但仍未揭示出后续治疗措施可以设计的共同基础，但越来越多的证据表明，味觉受体和味觉信号分子参与了胃肠道功能和免疫的维持和精细调节。
总结：尽管迄今为止，最初的目标——使用味觉物质治疗代谢紊乱——尚未实现，但许多有前景的发现表明，可以设计饮食干预措施来支持未来的常规治疗。
