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Health
Scientists have disÂcovÂered that the tinÂgling senÂsaÂtion caused by high-qualÂity extra-virÂgin olive oil in the back of the throat is due to a speÂcific flaÂvor-sensÂing molÂeÂcule named TRPA1, which is found in the throat and nose but not the mouth. This findÂing not only supÂports the traÂdiÂtional method of olive oil tastÂing, but also has potenÂtial impliÂcaÂtions for the develÂopÂment of anti-inflamÂmaÂtory drugs.
For years extra-virÂgin olive oil has been tasted and judged on its abilÂity to proÂduce a tinÂgling or burnÂing senÂsaÂtion in the back of the throat, the belief being that the more you cough, the betÂter the qualÂity of the oil. Now sciÂenÂtists have come up with eviÂdence to supÂport this method of tastÂing and to explain why it works.
In a paper pubÂlished today in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers revealed that senÂsor molÂeÂcules, located in the human throat but not the mouth, attach to a chemÂiÂcal found in high-end olive oils causÂing the very noticeÂable senÂsaÂtion.
The idea to study olive oil first occurred to the paper’s co-author Gary Beauchamp around 10 years ago when he was visÂitÂing Italy to attend a meetÂing on molÂeÂcÂuÂlar gasÂtronÂomy, an emergÂing field studyÂing the physics and chemÂistry of cookÂing. A friend brought him some freshly pressed extra-virÂgin olive oil to taste and one sip caused ​“a very odd senÂsaÂtion,” said Beauchamp, direcÂtor of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia. ​“It’s got this burn in the throat, but not in the mouth.”
The disÂcovÂery not only qualÂiÂfies an age-old traÂdiÂtion, but also furÂthers the conÂverÂsaÂtion around olive oil’s health enhancÂing attribÂutes. During the study researchers found that when crushed Ibuprofen was swalÂlowed and came in conÂtact with the throat, it creÂated the same senÂsaÂtion as oleoÂcanÂthal, the cough-inducÂing agent present in olive oil. Scientists now believe that their findÂings could shed furÂther light on the develÂopÂment of anti-inflamÂmaÂtory drugs.
But why this senÂsaÂtion should be felt in the throat rather than the mouth wasn’tfully underÂstood until researchers turned their attenÂtion to a speÂcific flaÂvor-sensÂing molÂeÂcule named TRPA1, known to react to noxÂios polÂluÂtants and chemÂiÂcals found in foods such as wasabi, musÂtard, and garÂlic.
Focusing on the TRPA1 molÂeÂcule, sciÂenÂtists began tests to locate its presÂence within the body. In takÂing tisÂsue biopÂsies from a numÂber of volÂunÂteers, they found TRPA1 to be mostly absent from mouth and tongue tisÂsue, but present in large quanÂtiÂties in the upper throat and nose, which was “…a big surÂprise,” Beauchamp said. Although other noxÂious chemÂiÂcals are sensed by many difÂferÂent recepÂtors, it seems that oleoÂcanÂthal can only be detected by TRPA1 and it is because of this that it is most felt in the throat when high qualÂity extra-virÂgin olive oils are samÂpled.
Beauchamp raised a related quesÂtion, notÂing that humans have come to appreÂciÂate the ​“pain” from oleoÂcanÂthal in olive oil, as if there is an inner knowlÂedge that it is advanÂtaÂgeous. ​“How this hapÂpens remains a fasÂciÂnatÂing puzÂzle,” he said.
TRPA1 also senses the chemÂiÂcally-unreÂlated ibuproÂfen, the team found. Beauchamp believes that it will be in underÂstandÂing the corÂreÂlaÂtion between the two diverse inflamÂmaÂtion fightÂers that new leads in the develÂopÂment of betÂter anti-inflamÂmaÂtory drugs could be found.