Taste perception and its effects on oral nutritional supplements in younger life phases

Obesity and COVID-19: Oro-Naso-Sensory Perception

Through a recent upsurge of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, the clinical assessment of most of the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) patients clearly presents a health condition with the loss of oro-naso-sensory (ONS) perception, responsible for the detection of flavor and savor. These changes include anosmia and dysgeusia. In some cases, these clinical manifestations appear even before the general flu-like symptoms, e.g., sore throat, thoracic oppression and fever. There is no direct report available on the loss of these chemical senses in obese COVID-19 patients. Interestingly, obesity has been shown to be associated with low ONS cues. These alterations in obese subjects are due to obesity-induced altered expression of olfacto-taste receptors. Besides, obesity may further aggravate the SARS-CoV-2 infection, as this pathology is associated with a high degree of inflammation/immunosuppression and reduced protection against viral infections. Hence, obesity represents a great risk factor for SARS-CoV-2 infection, as it may hide the viral-associated altered ONS symptoms, thus leading to a high mortality rate in these subjects.

CD36 and GPR120 Methylation Associates with Orosensory Detection Thresholds for Fat and Bitter in Algerian Young Obese Children

Background: The spontaneous preference for dietary fat is regulated by two lingual lipid sensors (CD36 and GPR120) in humans and rodents. Our objective was to investigate whether obesity in children is associated with methylation of lipid sensor genes, and whether this alteration was implicated in altered gustatory perception of fat and bitter and increased preference of palatable foods. Methods: School children were recruited and classified according to their body mass index (BMI) z-score into two groups: obese and lean children. The detection of orosensory perception for oleic acid and 6-n-propylthiouracil was assessed by using a 3-alternative forced-choice test. After blood DNA extraction, methylation patterns were investigated by methylation-specific PCR. The children were also subjected to a food habit questionnaire. Results: Obese children showed higher lipid and bitter detection thresholds than lean children. Besides, more obese children presented higher methylation level of the CpG sites than lean participants. Interestingly, CD36 and GPR120 gene methylation was associated with high lipid detection thresholds in obese participants. The obese participants preferred highly palatable fat-rich food items, associated with CD36 and GPR120 gene methylation. Conclusion: Epigenetic changes in CD36 and GPR120 genes might contribute to low orosensory perception of fat and bitter taste, and might be, consequently, critically involved in obesity in children