Evaluation of Taste Solutions with or without Aromas Based on the Relationship between Individual Resting and Stimulated Salivation

Abstract

The phenomena of taste and aroma are difficult to express in words. To develop a method for evaluating tastes and aromas without language, we focused on salivation, which is involved in eating behavior and can be noninvasively examined. We analyzed correlations between resting salivation and salivation stimulated by individual basic taste solutions at recognizable concentrations. We found that salivation induced by basic tastes was significantly correlated with resting salivation. Interestingly, salivation by sour taste showed a significantly lower correlation than other basic tastes. We also analyzed salivation induced by sweet or umami tastes with azuki, matsutake, or dried bonito-aromas and found that some combinations had a lower correlation, and the preferences for these combinations varied relatively widely. Our results could lead to a novel analytical method for evaluating the quality and preference of taste solutions with aroma based on the relationship between individual resting and stimulated salivation.