Recent advances in the field of taste physiology have clarified the role of different basic taste modalities and their implications in health and disease and proposed emphatically that there might be a distinct cue for oro-sensory detection of dietary long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs). Hence, fat taste can be categorized as a taste modality. During mastication, LCFAs activate tongue lipid sensors like CD36 and GPR120 triggering identical signaling pathways as the basic taste qualities do; however, the physico-chemical perception of fat is not as distinct as sweet or bitter or other taste sensations. The question arises whether “fat taste” is a basic or “alimentary” taste. There is compelling evidence that fat-rich dietary intervention modulates fat taste perception where an increase or a decrease in lipid contents in the diet results, respectively, in downregulation or upregulation of fat taste sensitivity. Evidently, a decrease in oro-sensory detection of LCFAs leads to high fat intake and, consequently, to obesity. In this article, we discuss recent relevant advances made in the field of fat taste physiology with regard to dietary fat preference and lipid sensors that can be the target of anti-obesity strategies.

味觉生理学领域的最新进展阐明了不同基本味觉形式的作用及其对健康和疾病的影响，并着重提出可能对口感检测饮食中的长链脂肪酸（LCFA）有不同的提示。因此，脂肪的味道可以归类为一种味觉形式。在咀嚼过程中，LCFA会激活舌脂传感器（如CD36和GPR120），从而触发与基本味觉品质相同的信号传导途径。然而，对脂肪的理化认识并不像甜，苦或其他味觉一样明显。产生的问题是“胖味”是基本还是“营养”味。有令人信服的证据表明，富含脂肪的饮食干预会调节脂肪的味觉，分别导致饮食中脂质含量的增加或减少，下调或上调脂肪的味道敏感性。显然，对LCFA的口感检测的减少会导致高脂肪摄入，从而导致肥胖。在本文中，我们讨论了在饮食脂肪偏爱和脂质传感器（可能成为抗肥胖策略的目标）方面在脂肪味道生理学领域取得的最新进展。