Wang Qun, Bie Yongjing, Xia Xiuxin, Liu Yuan, Blank Imre, Shi Yan, Men Hong, Chen Yan Ping
School of Automation Engineering, Northeast Electric Power University, Jilin 132012, China.
Department of Food Science & Technology, School of Agriculture & Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
Food Chem. 2025 Aug 1;482:144180. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144180. Epub 2025 Apr 1.
Excessive salt intake is a pressing food health issue, and odor-induced saltiness enhancement (OISE) is a novel strategy for targeted salt reduction. Understanding the neural mechanisms of OISE is essential for salt reduction. In this study, the mechanism of saltiness enhancement induced by three volatile organic compounds (VOCs) identified in Jinhua dry ham was investigated in 20 panelists using electroencephalography (EEG). The study demonstrated that VOCs enhanced salty taste perception, primarily through low-frequency brain waves. Source localization revealed occipital lobe activation during salty taste recognition, while OISE stimuli enhanced activity in the primary and secondary gustatory cortices. Additionally, VOCs enhanced phase synchronization among activated brain regions, as indicated by functional connectivity. This study enhances the understanding of olfactory-gustatory interactions and provides a neurological basis for the effects of OISE.
过量摄入盐是一个紧迫的食品健康问题，而气味诱导的咸味增强（OISE）是一种针对性减盐的新策略。了解OISE的神经机制对于减盐至关重要。在本研究中，使用脑电图（EEG）对20名受试者研究了金华火腿中鉴定出的三种挥发性有机化合物（VOCs）诱导咸味增强的机制。研究表明，VOCs主要通过低频脑电波增强咸味感知。源定位显示，在咸味识别过程中枕叶被激活，而OISE刺激增强了初级和次级味觉皮层的活动。此外，功能连接表明，VOCs增强了激活脑区之间的相位同步。本研究增进了对嗅觉-味觉相互作用的理解，并为OISE的作用提供了神经学基础。
