Salivary Composition Is Associated with Liking and Usual Nutrient Intake

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 10; no. 9; p. e0137473
• Main Authors: Méjean, Caroline, Morzel, Martine, Neyraud, Eric, Issanchou, Sylvie, Martin, Christophe, Bozonnet, Sophie, Urbano, Christine, Schlich, Pascal, Hercberg, Serge, Péneau, Sandrine, Feron, Gilles
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 04.09.2015; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adult; Adults; Antioxidants; Body Mass Index; Carbohydrates; Carbonic anhydrase; Carbonic anhydrases; Carbonic Anhydrases - metabolism; Diet; Dietary Carbohydrates - analysis; Dietary Carbohydrates - metabolism; Dietary Fats - analysis; Dietary Fats - metabolism; Dietary intake; Energy Intake - physiology; Enzymatic activity; Feeding Behavior - physiology; Feeding Behavior - psychology; Female; Flavor; Food; Food and Nutrition; Food habits; Food Preferences - physiology; Food Preferences - psychology; Food production; Food quality; Humans; Hypotheses; Life assessment; Life Sciences; Male; Middle Aged; Nutrient flow; Nutrients; Nutrition research; Physiological aspects; Physiology; Preferences; Proteolysis; Questionnaires; Regression analysis; Salinity; Saliva; Saliva - chemistry; Saltiness; Salts - analysis; Sensory evaluation; Sensory stimulation; Sodium; Studies; Sweetening Agents - analysis; Sweetness; Taste - physiology; Taste Perception - physiology; France; saliva; carbohydrates; sensory perception; taste; diet; food; proteolysis; nutrients
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137473

Salivary flow and composition have an impact on flavor perception. However, very few studies have explored the relationship between saliva, individual liking and usual dietary intake. The aim of our study was to evaluate the association of salivary flow and composition with both a liking for fat, saltiness and sweetness and the usual nutrient intake in an adult French population. Liking for fat, saltiness, and sweetness were inferred from liking scores obtained during hedonic tests on 32 food products among 282 French adults participating in the Nutrinet-Santé Study. Before assessing liking, resting saliva was collected. Standard biochemical analyses were performed to assess specific component concentrations and enzymatic activities. Dietary data were collected using three web-based 24 h records. Relationships between salivary flow and composition, sensory liking and nutrient intake were assessed using linear regression. Total antioxidant capacity was positively associated with simple carbohydrate intake (β = 31.3, 95% CI = 1.58; 60.99) and inversely related to complex carbohydrate consumption (β = -52.4, 95% CI = -87.51; -19.71). Amylolysis was positively associated with both total (β = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.01; 0.38) and simple carbohydrate intake (β = 0.21, 95% CI = 0.01; 0.39). Salivary flow was positively associated with liking for fat (β = 0.14, 95% CI = 0.03; 0.25). Proteolysis was positively associated with liking for saltiness and for fat (β = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.02; 0.59; β = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.01; 0.56, respectively). Amylolysis was inversely associated with liking for sweetness (β = -10.13, 95% CI = -19.51; -0.75). Carbonic anhydrase 6 was inversely associated with liking for saltiness (β = -46.77, 95% CI = -86.24; -7.30). Saliva does not substantially vary according to a usual diet, except for carbohydrate intake, whereas the specific association between salivary flow/composition and sensory liking suggests the influence of saliva characteristics in food acceptance.