PHENYLTHIOCARBAMIDE (PTC) TASTE PERCEPTION: A STUDY CORRELATING THE SENSITIVITY TO BITTER TASTE AND THE INFLUENCE OF VARIOUS DEMOGRAPHIC AND PSYCHOGRAPHIC PARAMETERS
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Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC), bitterness, tasters, non-tasters, food preferencesAbstract
The current study sought to elucidate the relationship between taste sensitivity to phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) in a group of 157 people of both sexes (67 males and 90 females), representing a random sample of the population over the age of 18, with diverse food preferences and dietary habits. The taste sensitivity to (PTC), a bitter-tasting compound (determined to be a genetically controlled trait) was carried out with the help of PTC strips. The study also exploited the fact that the various demographic variables such as age, sex, and psychographic parameters like food choices, lifestyle, etc., significantly influenced the taste perception of phenylthiocarbamide and therein other bitter-tasting compounds. The results expressed a clear demarcation (p 0.5) between the taster and non-taster status between both the sexes; with the females being more sensitive to PTC (72.2% as tasters) than the males (64.2 %). A significant rise was observed in the taster status among individuals aged 18–24 years, with 75.49 % as tasters. PTC taster status and beverage consumption frequency were found to be negatively correlated; the opposite was observed for non-tasters. The study also extrapolated the finding that phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) tasters have a higher rejection of strong-tasting foods, whereas non-tasters have a higher acceptance of these foods. PTC can be used as a genetic marker to pinpoint risk factors related to and a reliable determinant of susceptibility to weight gain. Individuals who are sensitive to bitter tastes often have a fairly low orientation for bitter-tasting foods. The key findings of this study indicate a link between PTC perception and variables such as age, gender, food choices, and dietary habits.
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