Bartoshuk L M, Duffy V B, Miller I J
Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8041.
Physiol Behav. 1994 Dec;56(6):1165-71. doi: 10.1016/0031-9384(94)90361-1.
Taste worlds of humans vary because of taste blindness to phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) and its chemical relative, 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP). We review early PTC studies and apply modern statistical analyses to show that a higher frequency of women tasted PTC crystals, and were tasters (threshold classification). In our laboratory, scaling of PROP bitterness led to the identification of a subset of tasters (supertasters) who rate PROP as intensely bitter. Supertasters also perceive stronger tastes from a variety of bitter and sweet substances, and perceive more burn from oral irritants (alcohol and capsaicin). The density of taste receptors on the anterior tongue (fungiform papillae, taste buds) correlate significantly with perceived bitterness of PROP and support the supertaster concept. Psychophysical data from studies in our laboratory also show a sex effect; women are supertasters more frequently. The anatomical data also support the sex difference; women have more fungiform papillae and more taste buds. Future investigations of PTC/PROP tasting and food behaviors should include scaling to identify supertasters and separate sex effects.
人类的味觉世界各不相同，这是因为对苯硫脲（PTC）及其化学相关物6-正丙基硫氧嘧啶（PROP）存在味觉盲。我们回顾了早期的PTC研究，并应用现代统计分析表明，品尝PTC晶体的女性比例更高，且她们属于尝味者（阈值分类）。在我们实验室，对PROP苦味进行分级时，发现了一部分尝味者（超级尝味者），他们认为PROP苦味极强。超级尝味者对各种苦味和甜味物质的味觉也更强烈，对口腔刺激物（酒精和辣椒素）的灼烧感也更敏感。舌前部（菌状乳头、味蕾）上味觉受体的密度与PROP的苦味感知显著相关，这支持了超级尝味者的概念。我们实验室研究的心理物理学数据也显示出性别差异；女性更常成为超级尝味者。解剖学数据也支持这种性别差异；女性有更多的菌状乳头和更多的味蕾。未来对PTC/PROP味觉和食物行为的研究应包括分级以识别超级尝味者并区分性别效应。
