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CompletedNCT01956838Updated Oct 15, 2014

The Effect of Bitter, Umami and Sweet Tastants on Food Intake

An interventional study of umami and bitter in Obesity, sponsored by Maastricht University Medical Center. Completed at 1 site in Netherlands. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2014-10-15.

Sponsored by Maastricht University Medical Center · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
15
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Rationale: The appearance of tastants in the small intestine can result in the activation of a negative feedback mechanism from different parts of the intestine to the stomach, the small intestine and to the central nervous system. These processes inhibit food processing, appetite sensations and food intake, and furthermore they increase feelings of satiety and satiation. We will investigate the effects of intraduodenal infusion of quinine 75mg (bitter), rebaudioside A 540mg (sweet), monosodium glutamate 2g (umami), a combination of these tastants (quinine, rebaudioside A, monosodium glutamate) and placebo (5 test days in total) on ad libitum food intake, satiation and in vivo release of the gut satiety peptides CCK and GLP-1.

Study design: To assess the effect of intraduodenal infusion of single ingredients and a combination of tastants (bitter, umami and sweet) on ad libitum food intake.

Secondary Objective(s):

  1. To investigate the effect of intraduodenal delivery of a combination of tastants on satiation.
  2. To assess the effect of intraduodenal delivery of a combination of tastants on gastrointestinal hormone release.
  3. To assess the effects of the tastants quinine, rebaudioside A and monosodium glutamate on the parameters as mentioned under the primary objective, and under secondary objectives 1 and 2.
  4. To compare the effects, as mentioned under the primary objective, and under secondary objectives 1 and 2, of the combination of tastants to those of the three single tastants quinine, rebaudioside A and monosodium glutamate.
02

Conditions studied

  • Obesity

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Keywords

  • food intake
  • tastants
  • obesity
03

In context

Obesity

6,296 studies on the registry are indexed under Obesity; 1,692 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 15 is below the median of 78 across 4,878 interventional studies indexed under Obesity.

Browse Obesity studies →

Lead sponsor

Maastricht University Medical Center is the lead sponsor of 835 studies on the registry; 122 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • Based on medical history and previous examination, no gastrointestinal complaints can be defined.
  • Age between 18 and 65 years. This study will include healthy adult subjects (male and female). Women must be taking contraceptives.
  • BMI between 18 and 25 kg/m2)
  • Weight stable over at least the last 6 months

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of severe cardiovascular, respiratory, urogenital, gastrointestinal/ hepatic, hematological/immunologic, HEENT (head, ears, eyes, nose, throat), dermatological/connective tissue, musculoskeletal, metabolic/nutritional, endocrine, neurological/psychiatric diseases, allergy, major surgery and/or laboratory assessments which might limit participation in or completion of the study protocol. The severity of the disease (major interference with the execution of the experiment or potential influence on the study outcomes) will be decided by the principal investigator.
  • Use of medication, including vitamin supplementation, except oral contraceptives, within 14 days prior to testing
  • Administration of investigational drugs or participation in any scientific intervention study which may interfere with this study (to be decided by the principle investigator), in the 180 days prior to the study
  • Major abdominal surgery interfering with gastrointestinal function (uncomplicated appendectomy, cholecystectomy and hysterectomy allowed, and other surgery upon judgement of the principle investigator)
  • Dieting (medically prescribed, vegetarian, diabetic, macrobiological, biological dynamic)
  • Pregnancy, lactation
  • Excessive alcohol consumption (>20 alcoholic consumptions per week)
  • Smoking
  • Blood donation within 3 months before the study period
  • Self-admitted HIV-positive state
  • Weight \<60kg
  • Non-tasters of sweet, bitter or umami
  • Evidence of MSG-hypersensitivity or Chinese restaurant syndrome
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Crossover assignment
Masking
Single (Participant)
Enrollment
15 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Umami

    intraduodenal infusion of umami

    Dietary Supplement: umami

  • Experimental
    sweet

    intraduodenal infusion of sweet tastant

    Dietary Supplement: sweet

  • Experimental
    bitter

    intraduodenal infusion of bitter tastant

    Dietary Supplement: bitter

  • Experimental
    combination

    intraduodenal infusion of a combination of tastants (umami, bitter and sweet)

    Dietary Supplement: umami · Dietary Supplement: bitter · Dietary Supplement: sweet

  • Placebo comparator
    placebo

    intraduodenal infusion of placebo (tap water)

Interventions

  • Dietary supplementumami

    intraduodenal infusion of umami tastant

  • Dietary supplementbitter

    intraduodenal infusion of bitter tastant

  • Dietary supplementsweet

    intraduodenal infusion of sweet tastant

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Ad libitum meal intake

    Difference in ad libitum meal intake (as measured during ad libitum pasta meal). At end of the testday

    Time frame: 5 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Satiation

    Difference in satiation (as measured by VAS) per time point

    Time frame: 5 weeks

  2. Gut hormones

    Measurements in plasma levels of the gut hormones CCK, GLP-1, insulin and glucose

    Time frame: 5 weeks

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Maastricht University Medical Center
    Maastricht, Netherlands
08

References and documents

Publications

  • van Avesaat M, Troost FJ, Ripken D, Peters J, Hendriks HF, Masclee AA. Intraduodenal infusion of a combination of tastants decreases food intake in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Oct;102(4):729-35. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.115.113266. Epub 2015 Aug 19. PubMed 26289437 ↗
09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Oct 15, 2014, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01956838
Lead sponsor
Maastricht University Medical Center
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Oct 8, 2013
Start date
Sep 2013
Primary completion
Aug 2014
Completion
Aug 2014
Last update
Oct 15, 2014

Study contacts

Prof Masclee, MD,PhD
principal investigator · Maastricht University Medical Center

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2014. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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