Analyzing Sensitiveness to Umami Taste in Children With Cancer

Abstract

Pediatric cancer is highly prevalent, especially Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Chemotherapy, due to its side effects, decreases food intake because it causes change in taste, dry mouth, nausea and/or vomiting. The sense of taste is responsible for detecting sweet, savory, sour, bitter and umami stimuli and responding to them. The Umami stimulus comes from monosodium glutamate, which is related to increased palatability of preparations, and it may contribute to improve food intake in pediatric patients with cancer. This study aimed to identify a threshold where the umami taste is detected by children following chemotherapy protocols: ALL GBTLI 97, 99 and 2009 and NHL 2000. The sensitivity Threshold test was applied in duplicate to determine the threshold of the umami taste, using six increasing concentrations of deionized water and monosodium glutamate. The data were analyzed with the aid of the Epi Info 6.0 program. 69 patients were evaluated, 63.8% of which were male; 69.6% had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and the rest, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. As for age, about 69% were between 6 and 10 years old. Most of the population (over 70%) detected the umami taste from the second concentration offered in the test, in both applications, and were sensitive to this taste. Children with cancer undergoing chemotherapy were sensitive to the umami taste. Moderate use of this component in preparations and adequate nutrition guidance can contribute to improve the nutritional status of children undergoing chemotherapy.