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| Poster #402 AChemS Undergrad Finalist: Oleate and Linoleate Fatty Acid Oral Detection Thresholds in Humans |
| Samuel I Deutsch1, Nicholas Amado1, Paul A.S. Breslin1,2 1Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, United States 2Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, United States |
Fatty acid detection thresholds in humans have been reported to range from 1-10 mM. Various methodologies have been used in these studies that yield variable and high thresholds. Our aim was to determine thresholds for oleic and linoleic acid sodium salts in humans with a highly sensitive measure. The deprotonated form of fatty acids has been shown in vitro to preferentially interact with oral fatty acid receptors, such as CD36. 10 humans were given a two-alternative forced-choice (2-AFC) threshold test containing the sodium salts of oleic acid (NaOleate) and linoleic acid (NaLinoleate) dissolved in water using a modified staircase procedure with a four-down, one-up rule. The sodium salts of the fatty acids were chosen due to their relatively high solubility in water. The 2-AFC tests were run twice for each participant and the thresholds were averaged to determine an absolute threshold. Participants wore nose clips to remove olfactory cues. The absolute oral detection thresholds ranged from 0.28mM to 1.18mM across the tested subjects. These results suggest that humans can reliably detect fatty acid sodium salts within the concentration range of 200 to 1000 micromolar, approximating in vitro receptor sensitivities. Our future work will look at testing other fatty acids using the sodium salt and the same methodology to understand if there are differences in sensitivities based on the adiposity of subjects. |