2023-08-29 22:00:00
The taste buds of domestic cats (Felis catus) contain special sensory receptors to detect umami taste, which added to two compounds present in tuna, could explain why these cats like this fish so much, according to research. recent issue of Chemical Senses magazine.
Apart from the sweet, sour, bitter and salty tastes, there is a fifth called umami (also known as the alkaline sixth, but humans can no longer detect it). Umami is a savory and deep flavor, present in various types of meat and seems to be a favorite with cats.
An origin without fish on the menu
Photos courtesy Carlos Carranza.
Cats are animals that base their diet mainly on meat, but it is not known why they prefer fish. Cats evolved around 10,000 years ago in the Near East, a desert region where fish were unlikely to be part of their diet.
There is a belief that these cats developed this taste over time. As early as 1500 BC, cats were featured eating fish in Ancient Egyptian art. And in the Middle Ages, cats in some Middle Eastern ports consumed large amounts of fish, including tuna, probably because they feasted on leftovers left behind by fishermen.
Two vital genes to detect umami
Scott McGrane, main author of the research, points out that these animals do not perceive the sweet taste, because they lack a protein to taste it, which they probably lost through the evolution of the species, precisely “because there is no sugar in the meat”. Cats also cannot identify bitter tastes very well.
Humans and many other animals have Tas1r1 y tas1r3, two genes that code for proteins that bind to taste buds to form a receptor that can identify umami. After carrying out genetic sequencing of a cat’s tongue, the scientists discovered that the taste buds had the aforementioned genes present, confirming that cats can detect this taste.
Preference for umami and two compounds present in tuna
To make sure of their results, McGrane and his colleagues conducted a taste test with 25 cats that consisted of placing two bowls of water; one with various combinations of amino acids and nucleotides, and the other with just water. The cats showed a marked preference for mixtures that contained molecules that are present in umami-rich foods, suggesting that this flavor, above all, is their favorite.
However, cats didn’t just prefer umami. They also approached the containers that contained histidine y monofosfato de inosinatwo compounds found at especially high levels in tuna: “It was one of the preferred combinations,” McGrane said.
Possible implications for food and medicines
“This is an important study that will help us better understand the preferences of our familiar pets,” Yasuka Toda, a molecular biologist at Meiji University and a leader in the study of the evolution of umami taste in mammals and mammals, said in a Science publication. birds.
The expert, who was not involved in the study, suggests that this work could help pet food companies develop healthier diets and more umami-tasting medicines for cats. Scientists welcome the idea of making it easier to swallow medications, which can sometimes be a complex (and somewhat dangerous) task.
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