Academic literature on the topic 'Fungiform papillae number'

Abstract The morphology and histological structure of two adult Brandt’s hedgehog, Paraechinus hypomelas, (Brandt, 1836) tongue were examined by light and scanning electron microscopy. On the dorsal surface of the tongue, three types of papillae were observed: filiform, fungiform and vallate papillae. Apex and corpus of the tongue as well as the lateral surface of the corpus were covered with numerous filiform papillae with bifurcated tip, while the epithelium lining the ventral lingual surface was free from papillae. Discoid shape fungiform papillae were scattered over the entire surface of the lingual apex, corpus and lateral surface uniformly between the filiform ones without regional variation in number and size. Three elliptical or oval vallate papillae in an inverted triangle form were found on the root of the tongue. Each papilla had a lobulated and very irregular dorsal surface. Both fungiform and vallate papillae contain taste buds. The foliate papillae was absent. Overall, the present findings reveal that despite some similarities, the lingual papillae of the Brandt’s hedgehog as an omnivore animal has spices-specific characteristics compare to the Erinaceous auritus as an insectivore species. This finding provides a set of basic data about the morphology of tongue and its lingual papillae in Brandt’s hedgehog.

Fungiform papillae are raised lingual structures which contain taste buds and thus play an important role in taste perception. These structures vary in number due to their relative sensitivity to a range of systemic and local factors which affect the dorsum of the tongue. Taste sensation can be measured using both chemical and electrical methods; however, the number of fungiform papillae has a direct effect on chemogustometric and electrogustometric values during evaluation. This review provides a general overview of fungiform papillae, their quantification methods and the various factors which may affect these structures. In addition, numerous methods of recording taste sensation and their clinical applications are highlighted.Keywords: Sensation; Taste; Taste Perception; Tongue; Taste Buds; Investigative Techniques.

The mammalian tongue has evolved for specialized functions in different species. The structure of its papillae tells about the animal's diet, habit, and taxonomy. The opossum has four kinds of lingual papillae (filiform, conical, fungiform, vallate). Scanning electron microscopy of the external features, connective tissue cores, and corrosion casts of the microvasculature show the filiform papillae have a spearhead-like main process and spiny accessory processes around the apical part of the main process. The shape and number of both processes depend on their position on the tongue. On the apex, the main processes have shovel-like capillary networks and the accessory processes have small conical networks. On the lingual radix, the processes have small capillary loops. In the patch region, conical papillae have capillaries arranged as a full sail curving posteriorly. The fungiform papillae are scattered among the filiform papillae and have capillary baskets beneath each taste bud. Giant fungiform papillae on the tongue tip are three to four times larger than the ones on the lingual body. Capillaries of giant papillae form a fan-shaped network. The opossum has three vallate papillae arranged in a triangle. Their tops have secondary capillary loops but not their lateral surfaces. Mucosal folds on the posterolateral border have irregular, fingerlike projections with cylindrical capillary networks. These findings and the structure of the rest of the masticatory apparatus suggest the lingual papillae of opossum have kept their ancestral carnivorous features but also developed the herbivore characteristics of other marsupials.

We investigated whether the long-term intake of a typical sugar-sweetened soft drink (sugar-sweetened beverage, SSB) alters markers for taste function when combined with a standard diet (chow) or a model chow mimicking a Western diet (WD). Adult male CD1 mice had ad libitum access to tap water or SSB in combination with either the chow or the WD for 24 weeks. Energy intake from fluid and food was monitored three times a week. Cardiometabolic markers (body weight and composition, waist circumference, glucose and lipid profile, and blood pressure) were analyzed at the end of the intervention, as was the number and size of the fungiform papillae as well as mRNA levels of genes associated with the different cell types of taste buds and taste receptors in the circumvallate papillae using a cDNA microarray and qPCR. Although the overall energy intake was higher in the WD groups, there was no difference in body weight or other cardiometabolic markers between the SSB and water groups. The chemosensory surface from the fungiform papillae was reduced by 36 ± 19% (p < 0.05) in the WD group after SSB compared to water intake. In conclusion, the consumption of the SSB reduced the chemosensory surface of the fungiform papillae of CD1 mice when applied in combination with a WD independent of body weight. The data suggest synergistic effects of a high sugar-high fat diet on taste dysfunction, which could further influence food intake and promote a vicious cycle of overeating and taste dysfunction.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the mean number of regenerated fungiform taste buds per papilla and perform light and electron microscopic observation of taste buds in patients with recovered taste function after severing the chorda tympani nerve during middle ear surgery. Methods: We performed a biopsy on the fungiform papillae (FP) in the midlateral region of the dorsal surface of the tongue from 5 control volunteers (33 total FP) and from 7 and 5 patients with and without taste recovery (34 and 29 FP, respectively) 3 years 6 months to 18 years after surgery. The specimens were observed by light and transmission electron microscopy. The taste function was evaluated by electrogustometry. Results: The mean number of taste buds in the FP of patients with completely recovered taste function was significantly smaller (1.9 ± 1.4 per papilla; p < 0.01) than that of the control subjects (3.8 ± 2.2 per papilla). By transmission electron microscopy, 4 distinct types of cell (type I, II, III, and basal cells) were identified in the regenerated taste buds. Nerve fibers and nerve terminals were also found in the taste buds. Conclusions: It was clarified that taste buds containing taste cells and nerve endings do regenerate in the FP of patients with recovered taste function.

In the light of recent molecular studies, there are two phylogenetic species of the red panda (Ailurus fulgens): Ailurus fulgens fulgens and Ailurus fulgens styani. The red panda belongs to the endangered species living in the wild only in Asia and is included in the CITES list. Although the biology and diet of this species has been extensively described, the histological structure of the tongue and lingual glands has not yet been characterized in detail in relation to the lifestyle of this mammal under specific conditions and as a basis for comparative anatomical studies of the biodiversity of endemic species. Study samples were collected from two adult males of Ailurus fulgens f. held in Wrocław Zoological Garden. Both tongues were examined macroscopically; moreover, samples with lingual papillae for light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were collected from the apex, body and root of the tongue. Both tongues of the Ailurus fulgens f. males were approximately 9 cm long. The dorsal lingual surface was covered with mechanical and gustatory lingual papillae. Filiform papillae were observed on the apex and the body of the tongue, while small conical papillae were observed on the root of the tongue. An elongated, 1–1.5 cm long cylinder-shaped lyssa was observed in the ventral part of the apex. Moreover, most numerous and largest round in shape fungiform papillae were observed on the apex and on the border of the body and root of the tongue, located directly rostrally to 12–13 round and oval in shape vallate papillae. The SEM study showed that filiform papillae on the apex had several long secondary processes, while filiform papillae on the body of the tongue were taller and their secondary papillae were shorter than the equivalent structures on the apex of the tongue. The SEM study showed numerous taste pores on the surface of the fungiform papilla, while irregular surface of the vallate papillae, however some of them had smoother surface. Mixed glands (comprised of mucous acini and serous acini) were present within the vallum (within the connective tissue core) of the vallate papilla. Beneath the papillae more serous glands were observed, while the posterior lingual glands in the caudal part of the root of the tongue were mucoserous (mucous units were prevalent). A characteristic feature of the tongue of Ailurus fulgens f. was the presence of lyssa, which is comparable to other representatives of Carnivora, but the number of vallate papillae was individually variable. The lack of strongly developed mechanical conical papillae probably may be related to the type of plant food that is particularly dominant in red panda. Further differences between Ailurus fulgens f. and Ailurus fulgens s. cannot be excluded. The results of these studies may be useful especially for veterinarians specializing in working with exotic animals and people dealing with wildlife conservation.

Abstract A mouse single taste bud contains 10–100 taste bud cells (TBCs) in which the elongated TBCs are classified into 3 cell types (types I–III) equipped with different taste receptors. Accordingly, differences in the cell numbers and ratios of respective cell types per taste bud may affect taste-nerve responsiveness. Here, we examined the numbers of each immunoreactive cell for the type II (sweet, bitter, or umami receptor cells) and type III (sour and/or salt receptor cells) markers per taste bud in the circumvallate and foliate papillae and compared these numerical features of TBCs per taste bud to those in fungiform papilla and soft palate, which we previously reported. In circumvallate and foliate taste buds, the numbers of TBCs and immunoreactive cells per taste bud increased as a linear function of the maximal cross-sectional taste bud area. Type II cells made up approximately 25% of TBCs irrespective of the regions from which the TBCs arose. In contrast, type III cells in circumvallate and foliate taste buds made up approximately 11% of TBCs, which represented almost 2 times higher than what was observed in the fungiform and soft palate taste buds. The densities (number of immunoreactive cells per taste bud divided by the maximal cross-sectional area of the taste bud) of types II and III cells per taste bud are significantly higher in the circumvallate papillae than in the other regions. The effects of these region-dependent differences on the taste response of the taste bud are discussed.

Computerized tongue diagnosis can make use of a number of pathological features of the tongue. To date, there have been few computerized applications that focus on the very commonly used and distinctive diagnostic and textural features of the tongue, Fungiform Papillae Hyperplasia (FPH). In this paper, we propose a computer-aided system for identifying the presence or absence of FPH. We first define and partition a region of interest (ROI) for texture acquisition. After preprocessing for detection and removal of reflective points, a set of 2D Gabor filter banks is used to extract and represent textural features. Then, we apply the Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) to identify the data sets from the tongue image database. The experimental results reasonably demonstrate the effectiveness of the method described in this paper.

Background: The aim of this double-blind randomized cross-over trial was to evaluate the effect of oral intake of glucosylceramide extracted from pineapple on oral moisture and xerostomia symptoms. Methods: Sixteen participants who had xerostomia symptoms were randomly allocated into two groups. One group received, as test samples, tablets containing glucosylceramide extracted from pineapple (GCP) followed by placebo tablets. The other group received the test samples in the reverse order. Participants were instructed to take tablets of the first test sample once a day (after breakfast) for two consecutive weeks. Then, after a washout period of four weeks, participants were instructed to take the other test sample for two consecutive weeks. The oral moisture level of the lingual mucosa, xerostomia symptoms, and the number of fungiform papillae was evaluated. Results: The oral moisture significantly increased, and the visual analog scale (VAS) of “How is the dryness of your mouth?” significantly improved after GCP tablets intake and not after placebo tablets intake. The number of fungiform papillae was not significantly different following the intake of GCP tablets or placebo tablets. Conclusion: Results suggested that oral intake of GCP may improve the moisture level and xerostomia symptoms.

The instinctive rejection of bitter taste has been crucial to the survival of our species and continues to influence food choices. In fact, the bitter taste receptors have evolved to protect the body from the ingestion of foods potentially harmful to health. However, some foods are widely consumed despite their high intensity of bitterness, for example coffee, one of the world’s most popular beverages. Coffee is drunk for its pleasant flavour and aroma as well as for the stimulatory properties arising from its caffeine content. Such properties, as well as the addition of sugar and/or milk, are most likely responsible for our learned preferences for coffee. The aim of this work was to study the relationship between the preference patterns for coffee and the perception of its bitterness. For this purpose, factors relating to both the product – degree of roasting - and the individual - bitterness perception and caffeine metabolism rate - were studied. First, the effect of the roasting temperature on coffee sensory profile and preference was investigated, initially by describing the sensory properties of coffee brews prepared with both under-roasted (140-165°C) and standard roasted (220°C) beans. In addition, seventy-five coffee consumers rated their liking for unsweetened and freely sweetened under-roasted coffee samples. Increasing the bean processing temperature positively affected both the perceived intensity of some sensory attributes specific to coffee and also consumers’ liking. In particular, coffee processed at temperature higher than 150°C were described by the terms “coffee”, “roasted”, “burnt”. Furthermore, no significant differences in the intensity of these attributes were found between samples processed at temperatures higher than 155°C and samples roasted at the standard temperature. In general, samples processed at temperatures higher than 150°C were preferred. However, a subgroup of subjects who liked the samples roasted at lower temperatures was found. These subjects were on average less neophobic than the others, that is, more inclined to consume unfamiliar/unconventional foods. Later, the effects of bitterness sensitivity and caffeine metabolism rate on perception of, and liking for coffee were examined. One hundred and thirty-five regular coffee consumers participated in the study. Subjects were characterised in terms of bitterness sensitivity (fungiform papillae – FP - number and sensitivity to the bitter compound 6-n-propylthiouracil –PROP-); caffeine metabolism rate (slow and fast metabolizers); attitudes and food behaviour (frequency – number of coffees per day- and modality - black, with sugar, with milk- of coffee consumption; preference for and familiarity with bitter foods; self perceived effect of caffeine intake). Caffeine metabolism was investigated by competitive immuno-enzymatic assay. Subjects provided saliva samples after 12 hours of caffeine abstinence (T0) and at 30 and 90 minutes after ingestion of caffeine (100 mg). The individual caffeine metabolism rate in 90 minutes was expressed as a caffeine metabolism index (CmI), computed as the ratio between the amount of residual caffeine in saliva 60 minutes after the adsorption peak and the amount of caffeine at the adsorption peak corrected with the baseline. Subjects rated their liking for six unsweetened and freely sweetened coffee samples selected on the base of their roasting degree, caffeine content and bitterness. The immersive test technique was applied to evaluate the effect of the context on coffee liking. In particular, just before starting the test, subjects were asked to describe the most preferred situation for consuming coffee (time of the day, place, company, etc.) and to imagine that they were doing coffee tasting in that particular situation. In a separate session, subjects evaluated the sourness, bitterness and astringency in the coffee samples. Psychophysical curves were constructed for caffeine and quinine-HCl over 6 concentrations. No significant relationships were found between the FP number, the PROP taster status and the caffeine metabolism rate. Subgroups of subjects were identified based on these indices and differences in preference and sensory responses were explored independently in the subgroups. Both FP density and PROP taster status affected taste sensitivity for bitter compounds in general (caffeine; quinine-HCl) and the use of sugar in coffee. In particular, subjects with a higher FP number rated the bitterness of caffeine and quinine-HCl solutions and sourness of coffees stronger than subjects with a lower FP number. They also added more sugar to, and gave higher liking ratings for, the coffee samples. While coffee liking was unrelated to PROP taster status, PROP non-tasters added more sugar to the coffee samples than did PROP super-tasters. However, super-tasters rated sourness, bitterness and astringency as stronger than non-tasters, both in coffee samples and in standard solutions. Caffeine metabolism was related to bitterness perception both in coffee samples and in standard solutions of caffeine, but not of quinine-HCl. In particular, subjects with a lower caffeine metabolism index rated the bitterness of coffees and of caffeine solutions as stronger than subjects with a higher caffeine metabolism index. Moreover, they added more sugar in coffees and consumed less coffees daily. In general, the results demonstrate that even in high coffee consuming cultures such as Italy, there are clear sensory variations in the coffees that are consumed. Coffee consumption and preference, in terms of frequency and modality, are influenced both by the sensory properties of coffee and the psychological, physiological and metabolic characteristics of consumers. In the coffee production process, the roasting degree is a crucial step towards the development of the sensory properties affecting consumer preference. Furthermore, both the physiological indices – FP number and PROP taster status – and the caffeine metabolism rate play a significant role in taste sensitivity for bitter compounds in general and also in the preference for coffee with or without sugar.