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Table 1 Implication of oral bacteria in taste perception

From: The role of the oral microbiome in obesity and metabolic disease: potential systemic implications and effects on taste perception

Bacteria

Population

Effect on taste perception

Potential mechanisms

Reference

Bacteria in saliva

 Lactobacilli

Elderly, acutely hospitalized adults

Inverse association with sour taste*

Metabolites synthesized by bacteria increase sour threshold

[107]

 Actinobacteria

Healthy adults

Inverse association with salty taste sensitivity*

Inverse association with sensitivity for sweet, sour, bitter, umami taste+

Metabolite production

Saliva flow and pH

[108]

 Bacteroidetes

Healthy adults

Positive association with salty taste sensitivity+

Inverse association with sensitivity for sour, and umami taste+

Metabolite production

Saliva flow and pH

[108]

 Firmicutes

Healthy adults

Inverse association with sensitivity to sweet, sour, salty and bitter taste+

Metabolite production

Saliva flow and pH

[108]

 Proteobacteria

Healthy adults

Inverse association with sensitivity for salty taste+

Positive association with sensitivity for umami taste +

Metabolite production

Saliva flow and pH

[108]

 Fusobacteria

Healthy adults

Inverse association with sensitivity for salty taste +

Metabolite production

Saliva flow and pH

[108]

 Bacteroidetes

Bacteroidia

Obese and non-obese children and adolescentes

Higher Bacteroidetes abundance associated with lower total and bitter taste sensitivity

Not specified

[15]

Bacteria in tongue film

 Actinobacteria

Healthy adults

Inverse association with sensitivity for sour and umami taste+

Positive association with sensitivity for bitter taste +

Metabolite production

Tongue film weight and pH

[96]

 Bacteroidetes

Healthy adults

Positive association with sensitivity for bitter taste * and salty and sweet taste+

Metabolite production

Tongue film weight and pH

[108]

 Firmicutes

Healthy adults

Inverse association with bitter and umami taste+

Metabolite production

Tongue film weight and pH

[108]

 Proteobacteria

Healthy adults

inverse association with salty taste+

positive association with umami taste+

Metabolite production

Tongue film weight and pH

[108]

 Fusobacteria

Healthy adults

inverse association with salty and sour taste+

Metabolite production

Tongue film weight and pH

[108]

 Actinomyces, Oribacterium, Solobacterium, Catonella, Campylobacter

PROP$-tasters vs non-tasters

Overexpression associated with higher responsiveness to bitter taste*

Not specified

[119]

 Peptococcus, Peptostreptoccoccus, Parvimonas, Lachnoanerobaculum, Prevotella, Fusobacterium

Healthy adults

Inversely associated with salty taste sensitivity*

Not specified

[29]

 Bergeyella, Peptostreptoccoccus,Lachnoanerobaculum,

Healthy adults

Inversely associated with sour and sour sensitivity*

Not specified

[29]

 Rothia

Healthy adults

Positive association with salty taste sensitivity*

Not specified

[29]

 Streptococcus mutans

Visually impaired children

Decreased taste sensitivity to PROP (bitter)*

Not specified

[120]

 Bacteroides

Obese adults

Increase in alpha-diversity in obese low-lipid tasters*

higher frequency in low lipid tasters

positive association with lipid taste*

Metabolite production

[28]

 Lachnospiracea

Obese adults

Negative association with lipid taste*

Metabolite production

[21]

  1. *significant association
  2. +trend
  3. $6-n-Propylthiouracil