[Gustometry usefulness for the evaluation of taste sense efficiency. Part I. The range of taste substances concentrations and the result of gustometry examination].
There are various methods of taste substances application in gustometry examination. The Polish Committee of Standards (Polski Komitet Normalizacyjny--PKN) recommends the performance of sensitivity taste examinations with the use of method based on rinsing out the mouth with water solutions of taste substances (sip-and-spit method) at their growing concentrations. The aim of the present research was to assess the usefulness of taste substances dilutions, whose concentrations were consistent with guidelines of the PKN for the evaluation of the results of examination of sweet, salty and sour taste sensitivity.


METHODS
795 volunteers, i.e. 473 women and 322 men, aged 18-66, were the subject of study.


RESULTS
The range of concentrations in sucrose solutions (0.34-12.00 g/l) as well as in sodium chloride solutions (0.16-2.00 g/l) were proper for examination in order to recognize taste threshold with the most volunteers. However, the use of concentrations in citric acid solutions (in the range 0.13-0.60 g/l) did not enable to investigate the taste sensitivity by reason of the large percentage of persons (85.2%) who correctly recognized the sour taste of the solution with the lowest citric acid concentration. The range of citric acid concentration (0.0036-0.2000 g/l) appeared to be more proper for examination of the sour taste sensitivity.


CONCLUSIONS
The concentrations of sucrose and sodium chloride solutions recommended by PKN are proper for the examination of sweet and salty taste sensitivity with the use of sip-and-spit method however concentrations of citric acid solutions should be lower than recommended.
Klimacka-Nawrot
Ewa
E
Z Katedry i Zakładu Podstawowych Nauk Biomedycznych w Sosnowcu Slaskiego Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Katowicach.
Suchecka
Wanda
W
Błońska-Fajfrowska
Barbara
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019343:Citric Acid; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D012996:Solutions; D013395:Sucrose; D013652:Taste Threshold
D012996:Solutions; D019343:Citric Acid; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013395:Sucrose