The oral sensation of metallic is a complex experience. Much of our current understanding of metallic sensation is from the investigation of metal salts, which elicit diverse sensations, including taste, smell, and chemesthetic sensations, and therefore meet the definition of a flavor rather than a taste. Due to the involvement of multiple chemosensory systems, it can be challenging to define and characterize metallic sensation. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the psychophysical studies quantifying and characterizing metallic sensation, focusing on metal salts. We examine the factors that impact perception, including anion complex, concentration, nasal occlusion, and pH. In addition, we summarize the receptors thought to be involved in the perception of metallic sensation (i.e., TRPV1, T1R3, TRPA1, and T2R7) either as a result of in vitro assays or from studies in knock-out mice. By enhancing our scientific understanding of metallic sensation and its transduction pathways, it has the potential to improve food and pharmaceuticals, help identify suppression or masking strategies, and improve the ability to characterize individual differences in metallic sensation. It also has the potential to translate to clinical populations by addressing the disparities in knowledge and treatment options for individuals suffering from metallic taste disorder (i.e., phantom taste or “metal mouth”). Future psychophysical studies investigating the sensory perception of metal salts should include a range of compounds and diverse food matrices, coupled with modern sensory methods, which will help to provide a more comprehensive understanding of metallic sensation.

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金属盐风味特征综述：了解金属感觉的复杂性

金属的口腔感觉是一种复杂的体验。我们目前对金属感觉的大部分理解来自对金属盐的研究，金属盐会引发多种感觉，包括味觉、嗅觉和化学感觉，因此符合风味而不是味道的定义。由于涉及多个化学感应系统，定义和表征金属感觉可能具有挑战性。在这里，我们全面回顾了量化和表征金属感觉的心理物理学研究，重点是金属盐。我们检查影响感知的因素，包括阴离子复合物、浓度、鼻塞和 pH 值。此外，我们总结了被认为与金属感觉感知有关的受体（即 TRPV1、T1R3、TRPA1、和 T2R7）作为体外试验或敲除小鼠研究的结果。通过增强我们对金属感觉及其转导途径的科学理解，它有可能改善食品和药物，帮助识别抑制或掩蔽策略，并提高表征金属感觉个体差异的能力。通过解决患有金属味觉障碍（即幻觉或“金属口”）的个体在知识和治疗选择方面的差异，它还具有转化为临床人群的潜力。未来调查金属盐感官知觉的心理物理学研究应包括一系列化合物和不同的食物基质，再加上现代感官方法，