TITLE:
Evaluation of the Palatability of Dry Syrups and the Bitterness Intensities of Dry Syrups Mixed with Various Beverages
AUTHORS:
Toshio Kurihara, Honami Kojima, Miyako Yoshida, Mizuho Oshio, Rino Kunikata, Haruka Nishikawa, Takahiro Uchida
KEYWORDS:
Palatability, Semantic Differential Method, Dry Syrup, Taste Sensor
JOURNAL NAME:
Pharmacology & Pharmacy,
Vol.12 No.2,
February
26,
2021
ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the
palatability of dry syrups for pediatric use by human gustatory sensation
testing and the artificial taste sensor. The bitterness intensities of dry
syrups mixed with various beverages were also evaluated using the taste sensor.
Twenty dry-syrup formulations of antibacterial and anti-allergic drugs
containing bitter active ingredients, frequently used in pediatric medicine in
Japan, were selected for testing. The main factors influencing palatability
were determined by factor analysis of data from human gustatory sensation
testing using the semantic differential method. It was shown that the
bitterness intensity of dry syrups in water could be predicted by the
artificial taste sensor. The influence of different beverages (orange juice,
milk or cocoa) mixed with the dry syrups
was evaluated using the artificial taste sensor. Taste and texture were found to be the principal
factors influencing the palatability of dry syrups. While the bitterness
intensities of some dry syrups were increased by mixing with orange juice, the
bitterness intensities of most dry syrups were decreased by mixing with milk or
cocoa. This suggests that one or more constituents of milk or cocoa may reduce
the bitterness intensities of dry syrups.