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Chemical Senses Advance Access originally published online on March 8, 2009
Chemical Senses 2009 34(4):333-339; doi:10.1093/chemse/bjp006
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Sensory Characterization of the Irritant Properties of Oleocanthal, a Natural Anti-Inflammatory Agent in Extra Virgin Olive Oils

Sara Cicerale1, Paul A.S. Breslin2, Gary K. Beauchamp2 and Russell S.J. Keast1

1 School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia 2 Monell Chemical Senses Center, 3500 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA

Correspondence to be sent to: Russell Keast, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia. e-mail: russell.keast{at}deakin.edu.au


  Abstract

Oleocanthal is an olive oil phenolic possessing anti-inflammatory activity. Anecdotal evidence suggests that oleocanthal elicits a stinging sensation felt only at the back of the throat (oropharynx). Due to this compound possessing potentially health-benefiting properties, investigation into the sensory aspects of oleocanthal is warranted to aid in future research. The important link between the perceptual aspects of oleocanthal and health benefits is the notion that variation in sensitivity to oleocanthal irritation may relate to potential differences in sensitivity to the pharmacologic action of this compound. The current study assessed the unique irritant attributes of oleocanthal including its location of irritation, temporal profile, and individual differences in the perceived irritation. We show that the irritation elicited by oleocanthal was localized to the oropharynx (P < 0.001) with little or no irritation in the anterior oral cavity. Peak irritation was perceived 15 s postexposure and lasted over 180 s. Oleocanthal irritation was more variable among individuals compared with the irritation elicited by CO2 and the sweetness of sucrose. There was no correlation between intensity ratings of oleocanthal and CO2 and oleocanthal and sucrose (r = –0.15, n = 50, P = 0.92 and r = 0.17, n = 84, P = 0.12, respectively), suggesting that independent mechanisms underlie the irritation of CO2 and oleocanthal. The unusual spatial localization and independence of acid (CO2) sensations suggest that distinct nociceptors for oleocanthal are located in the oropharyngeal region of the oral cavity.

Key words: individual differences, irritation, oleocanthal, somatosensory system

Accepted 25 January 2009


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