AN ODOR TRANSMITTED THRTOUGH MATERNAL MILK CAN REDUCE THE AVERSIVE RESPONSES TOWARD SOUR AND BITTER TASTANS IN RATS

IFRÁN, C.; SUAREZ, A.; AVELLANEDA, M.; KAMENETZKY, G.

Encuentro virtual

Congreso; XXXII International Conference of the Society for Comparative Psychology (SEPC); 2021

Sociedad Española de Psicología Comparada (SEPC)

Olfaction is highly important for mammals during early stages of life. During early ontogeny, rats exhibited heightened grasp responses toward an artificial nipple containing quinine (i.e., bitter taste), and drank more of this solution, in the presence of a pre-exposed odor (lemon or the mother?s odor). OBJECTIVETo assess if 3 day-old Wistarrats pre-exposed to a lemon scent, through maternal milk, increase the consumption behaviors in presence of this familiar odor, in comparison with the control group.METHODSubjects: 95 pups, 3 day-old Wistarrats derived from 17 litters.Solution: 0,1% quinine, 0,9% saline solution, 0,1% citric acid and distilled water.DISCUSSIONThe results showed enhanced seeking and intake behaviors of the bitter (quinine) and sour (citric acid) solutions. However, no differences were found when the nipple contained water or saline solution. This evidence suggests the following: 1. During the early stages of development, familiar odors regulate the acceptance of certain non-palatable, usually rejected, tastants; and 2.The route of transmission of the pre-exposed odor can be through air, or through food (amniotic fluid in previous studies and, in this escenario, breast milk), meaning, via the retronasalor orthonasal routes.