Effects of Colors on Salivary Flow Rate, Taste Threshold and Automatic Nerve System in Meal Environment

目的：本研究的目的是探讨餐垫大小的颜色刺激对用餐环境中味觉阈值和感觉的影响。方法：年龄21 ~ 37岁的健康女性26例，进行为期4天的实验。使用尺寸为420 mm × 315 mm的白色、红色、蓝色和绿色纸张作为颜色刺激。受试者被要求坐在椅子上，看着桌子上的彩色纸。主要的结果测量是味觉阈值，它有五个等级的浓度。受试者还被要求用视觉模拟量表评估他们在实验前后的感受。所有统计分析均使用SPSS 17.0 for Windows进行。本研究得到了学校伦理委员会的批准。结果：与白色刺激相比，红色和绿色刺激下的咸阈值中位数明显降低。与白色刺激相比，蓝色和绿色刺激下的甜味阈值中位数明显降低。结果表明，红色和绿色刺激使咸阈值敏感，蓝色和绿色刺激使甜阈值敏感。在红色刺激下，咸阈敏感的受试者比咸阈不敏感的受试者感到更多的实验前疲劳和不愉快。因此，我们需要注意红色刺激下的实验前感受。结论：餐垫大小的颜色刺激使味觉敏感，这种影响可能与实验前感觉有关。

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of placemat sized colors stimuli on taste threshold and feelings in meal environment.Methods : Twenty-six healthy women aged 21 to 37 years participated in the experiment for 4 days. White, red, blue, and green papers sized 420 mm × 315 mm were used as color stimuli. The subjects were requested to sit down on a chair and look at the colored paper on a table. The main outcome measure was taste thresholds, which had five ranked concentration. The subjects were also requested to evaluate their feelings before and after the experiment by the Visual Analog Scale. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 17.0 for Windows. This study was approved by the ethics committee of the university.Results : The median ranks of salty threshold under red or green stimuli were significantly decreased compared those under white stimulus. Also, the median ranks of sweet threshold under blue or green stimuli were significantly decreased compared those under white stimulus. These results suggested that red and green stimuli made salty threshold sensitive, blue and green stimuli made sweet threshold sensitive. The subjects who become salty threshold sensitive under red stimulus felt more pre-experiment fatigue and unpleasant than those who become salty threshold insensitive. Therefore, we need to pay attention the pre-experiment feelings under red stimulus.Conclusion : Placemat sized color stimuli made taste sensitive and these effects might be related to pre-experiment feelings.