Interrelations among physical characteristics, sensory perception and oral processing of protein-based soft-solid structures
Fracture; Chemistry; Food Science & Technology; feeding-behavior; human mastication; chewing patterns; electromyography; periodontal mechanoreceptors; Physiology; Microstructure; Sensory perception; Texture; food texture; breakdown; elevator muscle-activity; Mixed gels; Oral processing
Oral processing is essential in breaking down the physicochemical structure of the food and thus important to the sensory perception of food in the mouth. To have an understanding of protein-based, soft-solid texture perception, a multidisciplinary approach was applied that combined studies of food microstructure with mechanical properties, sensory evaluation, and oral physiology. Model foods were developed by combining ion-induced micro-phase separation and protein-polysaccharide phase separation and inversion. Activities of masseter, anterior temporalis and anterior digastric muscles during oral processing were recorded by electromyography (EMG), while jaw movement amplitudes, durations, and velocities were simultaneously collected by a three-dimensional jaw tracking system (JT-3D). Changes in the microstructure of mixed gels significantly altered the characteristics of the chewing sequence, including the muscle activities, number of chews, chewing duration and chewing frequency. Mechanical attributes related to structural breakdown and sensory perception of firmness were highly correlated with the amount of muscle activity required to transform the initial structure into a bolus ready for swallowing. Chewing frequency was linked to mechanical properties such as recoverable energy, fracture strain and water holding capacity of the gels. Increased adhesiveness and moisture release also resulted in slower chewing frequency. Evaluation of oral processing parameters at various stages (i.e., first cycle, first 5 cycles, and last 3 cycles) was found to be a useful method to investigate the dynamic nature of sensory perception at first bite, during chewing and after swallowing. The study showed that muscle activity and jaw movement can be used to understand the links between physical properties of foods and sensory texture. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Cakir E; Vinyard C J; Essick G; Daubert C R; Drake M; Foegeding E A
Food Hydrocolloids
2012
2012-10
Journal Article or Conference Abstract Publication
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2012.02.006" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1016/j.foodhyd.2012.02.006</a>
Linking Laboratory and Field Approaches in Studying the Evolutionary Physiology of Biting in Bamboo Lemurs
bamboo; bite force; biting; bone strain; galago crassicaudatus; indian anolis; jaw functional morphology; lizard sceloporus-merriami; lizards; load resistance; locomotor performance; macaca-fascicularis; mandibular function; periodontal mechanoreceptors; ranomafana national-park; Zoology
A realistic understanding of primate morphological adaptations requires a multidisciplinary approach including experimental studies of physiological performance and field studies documenting natural behaviors and reproductive success. For primate feeding, integrative efforts combining experimental and ecological approaches are rare. We discuss methods for collecting maximum bite forces in the field as part of an integrated ecomorphological research design. Specifically, we compare maximum biting ability in 3 sympatric bamboo lemurs (Hapalemur simus, H. aureus, and H. griseus) at Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar to determine if biting performance contributes to the observed partitioning of a shared bamboo diet. We assessed performance by recording maximum bite forces via jaw-muscle stimulations in anesthetized subjects from each species. Behavioral observations and food properties testing show that the largest species, Hapalemur simus, consumes the largest and most mechanically challenging foods. Our results suggest that Hapalemur simus can generate larger bite forces on average than those of the 2 smaller species. However, the overlap in maximum biting ability between Hapalemur simus and H. aureus indicates that biting performance cannot be the sole factor driving dietary segregation. Though maximum bite force does not fully explain dietary segregation, we hypothesize that size-related increases in both maximum bite force and jaw robusticity provide Hapalemur simus with an improved ability to process routinely its more obdurate diet. We demonstrate the feasibility of collecting physiological, ecological, and morphological data on the same free-ranging primates in their natural habitats. Integrating traditionally laboratory-based approaches with field studies broadens the range of potential primate species for physiological research and fosters improved tests of hypothesized feeding adaptations.
Vinyard C; Yamashita N; Tan C
International Journal of Primatology
2008
2008-12
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-007-9178-9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1007/s10764-007-9178-9</a>