title: Flavor preferences conditioned by sugars: rats learn to prefer glucose over fructose.
abstract: The reinforcing effects of glucose and fructose were compared using flavor preference conditioning paradigms. Female rats given access to flavored glucose and flavored fructose solutions developed preferences for the glucose- over the fructose-paired flavor, as well as for unflavored glucose over unflavored fructose. This effect was obtained with 8% and 32% solutions, and with nondeprived and deprived rats. In most cases, the glucose preference was not immediate but appeared only after the rats had one-bottle experience with the two sugars. Female rats also preferred a glucose-paired flavor over a flavor that was paired with a noncaloric saccharin solution. A similar but somewhat weaker preference was displayed for a fructose-paired flavor over a saccharin-paired flavor. Both male and female rats acquired preferences for flavored chow that was paired with the intake of a 32% glucose solution over flavored chow paired with 32% fructose intake. Together, these results indicate that glucose has more potent postingestive reinforcing effects than does fructose. This may explain why rats consume more glucose than fructose in one-bottle acceptance as well as two-bottle preference tests.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College, NY 11210.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ackroff
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sclafani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003214:Conditioning, Classical; D005260:Female; D005632:Fructose; D005936:Glucans; D005947:Glucose; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D051381:Rats; D013649:Taste
chemical_list: D005936:Glucans; D005632:Fructose; D005947:Glucose