Fuminori Kawabata, Yuta Yoshida, Yuki Inoue, Yuko Kawabata, Shotaro Nishimura, Shoji Tabata
Poultry science 2021 JanA functional fatty acid taste receptor, GPR120, is present in chicken oral tissues, and chickens show a preference for lipid in feed. However, it remains unclear whether chickens can detect fatty acids. To address this issue, we adopted 2 behavioral paradigms: a one-bowl drinking test to evaluate the preference for oleic acid solution and a conditioned taste aversion test to investigate the role of gustation in chickens' ability to detect oleic acid. In the one-bowl drinking test, chickens did not show any preference for solution containing 0.001, 0.01, 0.03, 0.1, or 30 mmol/L oleic acid although 30 mmol/L oleic acid was enough to fully activate GPR120, confirmed by Ca2+ imaging. On the other hand, chickens conditioned to avoid 30 mmol/L oleic acid solution also learned to avoid the solution. These results suggested that chickens have a gustatory perception of oleic acid solution but do not have a preference for it. The present results support the idea that chickens prefer lipid in feed, not only by a postingestive effect but also by sensing the taste of fatty acid. Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Fuminori Kawabata, Yuta Yoshida, Yuki Inoue, Yuko Kawabata, Shotaro Nishimura, Shoji Tabata. Research Note: Behavioral preference and conditioned taste aversion to oleic acid solution in chickens. Poultry science. 2021 Jan;100(1):372-376
PMID: 33357702
View Full Text