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Owsienko D, Goppelt L, Hierl K, Schäfer L, Croy I, Loos HM. Body odor samples from infants and post-pubertal children differ in their volatile profiles. Commun Chem 2024; 7:53. [PMID: 38514840 PMCID: PMC10957943 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-024-01131-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Body odors change during development, and this change influences the interpersonal communication between parents and their children. The molecular basis for this chemical communication has not been elucidated yet. Here, we show by combining instrumental and sensory analyses that the qualitative odorant composition of body odor samples is similar in infants (0-3 years) and post-pubertal children (14-18 years). The post-pubertal samples are characterized by higher odor dilution factors for carboxylic acids and by the presence of 5α-androst-16-en-3-one and 5α-androst-16-en-3α-ol. In addition to the olfaction-guided approach, the compounds 6-methylhept-5-en-2-one (6MHO), geranyl acetone (GA) and squalene (SQ) were quantified. Both age groups have similar concentrations of 6MHO and GA, whereas post-pubertal children tend to have higher concentration of SQ. In conclusion, sexual maturation coincides with changes to body odor chemical composition. Whether those changes explain differences in parental olfactory perception needs to be determined in future studies with model odors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Owsienko
- Chair of Aroma and Smell Research, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Lisa Goppelt
- Chair of Aroma and Smell Research, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Katharina Hierl
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Laura Schäfer
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ilona Croy
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Helene M Loos
- Chair of Aroma and Smell Research, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.
- Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Freising, Germany.
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Alves Soares T, Owsienko D, Haertl T, Loos HM. Recovery rates of selected body odor substances in different textiles applying various work-up and storage conditions measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Anal Chim Acta 2023; 1252:341067. [PMID: 36935158 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2023.341067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Body odor is an important aspect in interpersonal communication. For psychological and chemical research on body odors, suitable procedures for sampling and application, and analysis of body odors are essential. In this study, different textile fabrics (polyester, cotton, and Gazin gauze) were comparatively evaluated in view of their potential suitability for body odor sampling by determining recovery rates of selected body odor substances. In addition, the impact of sample preparation and storage conditions on the recovery rates was determined. RESULTS The recovery rates of dimethyl disulfide, (E)-non-2-enal, 5α-androst-16-en-3-one, 6-methylhept-5-en-2-one, heptanal and 3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol were determined under different conditions of storage (storage for 30 min at room temperature or storage for 30 min at room temperature followed by freezing at - 80 °C for 4 weeks) and sample work-up (solvent extraction with and without solvent-assisted flavour evaporation, in the following: SAFE). SAFE led to overall lower recovery rates with a significant effect for (E)-non-2-enal and 5α-androst-16-en-3-one. Nevertheless, the results showed that SAFE can be an essential step when working with a complex matrix. When comparing the different fabrics, except for (E)-non-2-enal no difference between the recovery rates obtained for cotton and polyester became evident. Gazin gauze showed lower recovery rates for all compounds. Finally, our results showed that the here investigated target compounds are stable during storage for four weeks at - 80 °C. SIGNIFICANCE AND NOVELTY The results show on the one hand that the here investigated compounds were stable during storage and that the fiber type had limited influence on overall recovery rates. On the other hand, they highlight the limitations of using textile materials for sampling of volatile substances, especially with regard to low recovery rates for certain substances and the necessity of material pre-treatment or distillation steps for enabling GC-MS analysis after solvent extraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatjana Alves Soares
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestr. 9, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Diana Owsienko
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestr. 9, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Tobias Haertl
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestr. 9, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Helene M Loos
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestr. 9, 91054, Erlangen, Germany; Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Giggenhauser Str. 35, 85354, Freising, Germany.
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3
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Roberts SC, Třebická Fialová J, Sorokowska A, Langford B, Sorokowski P, Třebický V, Havlíček J. Emotional expression in human odour. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2022; 4:e44. [PMID: 37588919 PMCID: PMC10426192 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2022.44] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent work has demonstrated that human body odour alters with changing emotional state and that emotionally laden odours can affect the physiology and behaviour of people exposed to them. Here we review these discoveries, which we believe add to a growing recognition that the human sense of smell and its potential role in social interactions have been underappreciated. However, we also critically evaluate the current evidence, with a particular focus on methodology and the interpretation of emotional odour studies. We argue that while the evidence convincingly indicates that humans retain a capacity for olfactory communication of emotion, the extent to which this occurs in ordinary social interaction remains an open question. Future studies should place fewer restrictions on participant selection and lifestyle and adopt more realistic experimental designs. We also need to devote more consideration to underlying mechanisms and to recognise the constraints that these may place on effective communication. Finally, we outline some promising approaches to address these issues, and raise some broader theoretical questions that such approaches may help us to answer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ben Langford
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Penicuik, UK
| | | | - Vít Třebický
- Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Havlíček
- Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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Hierl K, Croy I, Schäfer L. Body Odours Sampled at Different Body Sites in Infants and Mothers-A Comparison of Olfactory Perception. Brain Sci 2021; 11:820. [PMID: 34205665 PMCID: PMC8235221 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11060820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Body odours and their importance for human chemical communication, e.g., in the mother-child relationship, are an increasing focus of recent research. Precise examination of sampling methods considering physiology and feasibility aspects in order to obtain robust and informative odour samples is therefore necessary. Studies comparing body odour sampling at different body sites are still pending. Therefore, we sampled axilla, breast, and head odour from 28 mother-infant dyads and examined whether odour perception differs with regard to the body site. The participating mothers were asked to evaluate their own and their infant's body odour samples, as well as odours of two unfamiliar mother-infant dyads. We tested whether maternal pleasantness and intensity evaluation, as well as recognition ability of the odours differed between the body sites. In infants, the head odour exhibited slightly lower pleasantness ratings than axilla and breast, and intensity ratings did not differ between body sites. In mothers, body site affected intensity ratings but not pleasantness ratings, as the breast odour was rated as less intense compared with head and axilla. Across all body sites, mothers rated the own and their infant's odour as less intense when compared with unfamiliar samples. Recognition ability did not differ between body sites, and in line with previous studies, mothers were able to recognize their own and their own infant's odour above chance. In sum, our study extends the previous methodological repertoire of body odour sampling and indicates that the axilla, breast, and head of adults as well as infants serve as informative odour sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Hierl
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Technical University of Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Ilona Croy
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Laura Schäfer
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Technical University of Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
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Parma V, Redolfi N, Alho L, Rocha M, Ferreira J, Silva CF, Soares SC. Ethnic influences on the perceptual properties of human chemosignals. Physiol Behav 2019; 210:112544. [PMID: 31130295 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Individuals of African and Caucasian descent show different chemical signatures in their body odors (BO). Does such biological difference have a perceptual correlate? We tested BO donors and raters of Afro-Portuguese (AP) and Caucasian (C) descent to investigate whether olfactory ratings reveal an ethnic bias and whether olfactory ethnic discrimination is possible. C (vs. AP) women rated the C BO as more pleasant, even when controlling for intensity. The C BO labelled as AP was rated as more intense by C raters. Although discriminability of ethnicity and sex is at chance, a nominal advantage for AP vs. C BO emerges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Parma
- International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Neuroscience Area, Trieste, Italy; William James Center for Research, Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada, Lisbon, Portugal; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Nelly Redolfi
- International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Neuroscience Area, Trieste, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Laura Alho
- Lusófona University of Humanities and Technology, Lisbon, Portugal; HEI-Lab (Human-Environment Interaction Lab), Lusófona University of Humanities and Technologies, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Marta Rocha
- William James Center for Research, Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada, Lisbon, Portugal; CINTESIS.UA, Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Jacqueline Ferreira
- CINTESIS.UA, Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Carlos F Silva
- William James Center for Research, Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada, Lisbon, Portugal; CINTESIS.UA, Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Sandra C Soares
- William James Center for Research, Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada, Lisbon, Portugal; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; CINTESIS.UA, Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Portugal
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Fialová J, Hoffmann R, Roberts SC, Havlíček J. The effect of complete caloric intake restriction on human body odour quality. Physiol Behav 2019; 210:112554. [PMID: 31130296 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2018] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies on various vertebrates have shown that quantity and quality of food intake affect odour attractiveness as perceived by potential mates. In humans, the quality of body odour is similarly affected by ingested foods, such as by variation in meat and garlic intake. Nevertheless, it is not known whether quantity of food has an impact on human body odour attractiveness. Thus, here we tested how 48 h of complete caloric intake restriction affects the hedonic quality of human axillary odour. Odour samples (cotton pads fixed in both armpits and worn for 12 h) were obtained from healthy female donors across three conditions: i) during their habitual food regime; ii) after 48 h of complete caloric intake restriction (drinking water was provided), and iii) 72 h after restoration of caloric intake. Axillary samples were assessed by male raters regarding their pleasantness, attractiveness, femininity, and intensity. We also collected blood samples to assess physiological changes due to dietary restriction (e.g., glucose, sodium, albumin, and triacylglyceride assays) and anthropometric measurements at the same intervals as body odour samples. We found no differences in pleasantness, attractiveness and intensity between the odour samples collected at baseline and during complete caloric intake restriction. Interestingly, we found that body odours were rated more pleasant, more attractive and less intense after restoration of food intake as compared to the baseline and during caloric restriction. Our results suggest that restoration of food intake positively influences hedonic quality of human body odour which might thus provide cues to current fitness status and metabolic efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitka Fialová
- Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague 128 43, Czech Republic; National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, Klecany 250 67, Czech Republic.
| | - Rudolf Hoffmann
- Medical Clinic Václavka, Musílkova 55, 150 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - S Craig Roberts
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Jan Havlíček
- Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague 128 43, Czech Republic; National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, Klecany 250 67, Czech Republic
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Allen C, Cobey KD, Havlíček J, Singleton FP, Hahn AC, Moran CN, Roberts SC. Preparation for fatherhood: A role for olfactory communication during human pregnancy? Physiol Behav 2019; 206:175-180. [PMID: 30978334 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
There is evidence across a range of bi-parental species that physiological changes may occur in partnered males prior to the birth of an infant. It has been hypothesised that these hormonal changes might facilitate care-giving behaviours, which could augment infant survival. The mechanism that induces these changes has not been identified, but evidence from several species suggests that odour may play a role. The current study investigated this in humans by recording testosterone and psychological measures related to infant interest and care in men (n = 91) both before and after exposure to odours from either pregnant women or non-pregnant control women. We found no evidence for an effect of odour cues of pregnancy on psychological measures including self-reported sociosexual orientation and social dominance scores, ratings of infant or adult faces, or testosterone levels. However, we found that brief exposure to post-partum odours significantly increased the reward value of infant faces. Our study is the first to show that the odour of peri-partum women may lead to upregulation of men's interest in infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Allen
- School of Psychology, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 7RU, UK; Division of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.
| | - K D Cobey
- Division of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK; Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa K1Y4E9, Canada; University of Ottawa, Ottawa K1N6N5, Canada
| | - J Havlíček
- Department of Zoology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - F P Singleton
- Division of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - A C Hahn
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt State University, USA
| | - C N Moran
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport, University of Stirling, Scotland FK9 4LA, UK
| | - S C Roberts
- Division of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
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