Search results for " bitter"

Operational sex ratio and resource defence as predictors of the mating system in European bitterling

2003

Operational sex ratio (OSR), the ratio of sexually active males to fertilizable females in a population, plays a central role in the theory of mating systems by predicting that the intensity of male–male competition and the degree of sexual selection increases as the OSR becomes increasingly male biased. At high values of OSR, however, resource defence theory predicts the breakdown of territoriality and a shift towards scramble competition with a decrease in sexual selection. The direction that correlations between OSR and resource competition and variance in mating success will take depends on the biology of the species of interest. We investigated the effects of male population density an…

The bitter taste of vitamins is mediated by human TAS2R activation

2021

Vitamins play an important role in maintaining normal physiologic and metabolic functions. Vitamins are known to generate bitterness, which may contribute to the off-taste of nutritional supplements. This negative sensation may decrease product acceptability and patient compliance. Few studies have examined taste thresholds and sensory sensing mechanisms at the origin of vitamin taste detection. To better understand vitamin bitterness perception, we combined human sensory analysis and taste receptor functional assays. We measured the aqueous taste detection threshold of four B vitamins using sensory difference tests. Challenging the 25 human bitter taste 2 receptors (TAS2Rs), we found that …

Bitter taste genetics and food preference in italian population

2010

Objective: To investigate the possible role of the polymorphic bitter taste gene, TAS2R38, known to be involved in the perception of the bitter synthetic chemical phenylthiocarbamide (PTC), in influencing food preference and body mass index(BMI). Methods: up to now more than 1500 university students (17-25 years old) at Catania, Cosenza, Rome, Palermo, Pisa, Parma, Chieti, Trento University have been enrolled in the study. DNA was extracted from saliva, and genotyped by TaqMan assay for the most frequent polymorphism (PAV/AVI) of TAS2R38 gene. A possible association between genotype and food preference was assessed by administering a detailed questionnaire for food preferences and life styl…

Sucralose and Cardiometabolic Health: Current Understanding from Receptors to Clinical Investigations

2021

International audience; The excess consumption of added sugar is consistently found to be associated with weight gain, and a higher risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, and stroke. In an effort to reduce the risk of cardiometabolic disease, sugar is frequently replaced by low- and null-calorie sweeteners (LCSs). Alarmingly, though, emerging evidence indicates that the consumption of LCSs is associated with an increase in cardiovascular mortality risk that is amplified in those who are overweight or obese. Sucralose, a null-caloric high-intensity sweetener, is the most commonly used LCS worldwide, which is regularly consumed by healthy individuals and patients with metab…

Sustainable recovery of critical elements from seawater saltworks bitterns by integration of high selective sorbents and reactive precipitation and c…

2023

The availability of raw mineral resources containing elements included in the Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) list is a growing concern for the European Union. Sea mining has been identified as a promising secondary source. In particular, brines obtained in solar saltworks (bitterns) contain relevant amounts of valuable CRMs such as Mg(II), B(III), other alkaline/alkaline earth metals (Rb(I), Cs(I), Sr(II)) and transition/post-transition elements (Co(II), Ga(III), Ge(IV)). However, the low concentration of some of these elements (µg/L) requires an effort to develop recovery routes that are sustainable and economically feasible where the required chemicals and energy are produced on-site from …

Fruit chemical and sensory characteristics of five loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl) cultivars.

2014

Magnesium Hydroxide Nanoparticles Production from Natural Bitterns

2022

Magnesium hydroxide nanoparticles are widely employed in numerous industrial applications. Several preparation methods have been proposed using mainly synthetic Mg2+ containing solutions. In the present work, the possibility of producing Mg(OH)2 nanoparticles from real bitterns, the by-product of sea salt production, is investigated. Bitterns are highly concentrated Mg2+ containing solutions whose exploitation can turn a waste into valuable products embracing the circular economy idea. Two bitterns collected from Galia and Margi saltworks of the district of Trapani (Italy) were studied. Galia and Margi bitterns had a 1 M and 2.5 M Mg2+ concentration, respectively. A 2 mm diameter circular-c…