Responses of single chorda tympani taste fibers of the calf (Bos taurus).
In spite of a wealth of information on feed and nutrition in cattle, there little is published of what they actually can taste. Here, we attempt to remedy some of this deficiency by presenting recordings of the chorda tympani proper nerve of young Holstein calves during stimulation of approximately 30 compounds. Hierarchical cluster analysis of 46 single taste fibers separated 4 fiber clusters: N (salt best), H (sour best), and 2 clusters, which could not be related to any human taste quality. The N fibers responded best to LiCl, NaCl, urea, monosodium glutamate, and KCl, whereas the H fibers responded strongly to citric and ascorbic acid. Interestingly, propionic and butyric acid stimulated best the 3rd cluster, whereas the 4th cluster responded best to denatonium benzoate and only to a small extent to quinine hydrochloride. Sweeteners stimulated moderately all clusters. Beginning with the largest response to sweet, the order between the responses was: acesulfame-K, saccharin, D-phenylalanine, glycine, sucrose, fructose, erythritol, cyclamate, and lactose. Alitame, aspartame, and super-aspartame evoked no or little responses. Three and 5 M ethanol stimulated all clusters. Comparison with taste fibers in other species suggests that the taste world of cattle is quite different from other species'.
Hellekant
Göran
G
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Duluth, 1035 University Drive, Duluth, MN 55811, USA. ghelleka@d.umn.edu.
Roberts
Thomas
T
Elmer
Donald
D
Cragin
Tiffany
T
Danilova
Vicktoria
V
D000818:Animals; D001218:Aspartame / Q000494:pharmacology; D002417:Cattle; D002814:Chorda Tympani Nerve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000494:pharmacology; D011803:Quinine / Q000494:pharmacology; D012439:Saccharin / Q000494:pharmacology; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D012970:Sodium Glutamate / Q000494:pharmacology; D013395:Sucrose / Q000494:pharmacology; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology; D013650:Taste Buds / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013652:Taste Threshold / Q000502:physiology
D009930:Organic Chemicals; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013395:Sucrose; D011803:Quinine; D012439:Saccharin; D012970:Sodium Glutamate; D001218:Aspartame