RELATION BETWEEN SALIVA FLOW AND FLAVOR RELEASE FROM CHEWING GUM

The objective of this study was to investigate whether or not parotid saliva flow is a significant determinant of flavor release from chewin g gum. Cherry-flavored gum with 3 concentrations of citric acid (0.5, 1, and 2%) acting as a sialagogue was evaluated for sweetness and cher ry flavor in duplicate by 13 subjects, using a computerized system for simultaneous time-intensity (TI) measurements and unilateral collecti on of parotid saliva. With increased acidity in the gum, maximum inten sity of, and area under, the cherry flavor curve increased (p < 0.001) , whereas total duration of sweetness decreased (p < 0.05). Large inte rindividual differences were found for parotid saliva flow in response to chewing gum. Mean unilateral parotid saliva flows in response to s timulation with water and gum with 0.5, 1, and 2% citric acid were 0.0 7, 0.30, 0.36, and 0.44 g/min, respectively. There was a significant p ositive correlation between saliva flow and time to reach maximum inte nsity of sweetness (p < 0.05) and of cherry flavor (p < 0.01), with '' high-flow'' subjects taking longer to reach maximum intensity than ''l ow-flow'' subjects for both attributes. We conclude that parotid saliv a flow may affect the rate of flavor release, but not how much nor for how long flavor is released. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.