title: Effect of a bitter bolus on oral, pharyngeal and esophageal transit of healthy subjects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  During swallowing, boluses stimulate sensory receptors of the oral, pharyngeal, laryngeal, and esophageal regions. Sweet and tasteless foods are more acceptable for swallowing than bitter foods. A bitter bolus is unpleasant for most subjects. Our hypothesis was that the ingestion of a bitter bolus might alter the oral behavior, pharyngeal and esophageal transit when compared to a sweet bolus.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether the bitter taste of a liquid bolus causes alteration on oral, pharyngeal and/or esophageal transit in normal subjects in comparison with sweet bolus.'
  
  
  METHODS
  Scintigraphic evaluation of oral, pharyngeal and esophageal transit was performed in 43 asymptomatic subjects, 22 women and 21 men, ages 23-71 years, without problems with the ingestion of liquid and solid foods, and without digestive, cardiac or neurologic diseases. Each subject swallowed in random sequence and at room temperature 5 mL of a liquid bolus with bitter taste, prepared with 50 mL of water with 2 g of leaves of Peumus boldus, heated until boiling (boldus tea), and 5 mL of a liquid bolus with sweet taste, prepared with 50 mL of water with 3 g of sucrose, both labeled with 37 MBq of technetium phytate (Tc99m).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no difference between the bitter bolus and the sweet bolus in mouth, pharynx and esophageal transit and clearance duration and in the amount of residues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A bitter bolus, considered an unpleasant bolus, does not alter the duration of oral, pharyngeal and esophageal phases of swallowing, when compared with a sweet bolus, considered a pleasant bolus.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, and Department of Medicine, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors: Leda Maria Tavares
authors: LM
authors: Alves
authors: Marie
authors: M
authors: Secaf
authors: Roberto Oliveira
authors: RO
authors: Dantas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009055:Mouth / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult