The Journal of Nutrition Ingestive Behavior and Neurosciences Food Liking Enhances the Plasma Response of 2-Arachidonoylglycerol and of Pancreatic Polypeptide upon Modified Sham Feeding in

Background: Food palatability increases food intake andmay lead to overeating. Themechanisms behind this observation are still largely unknown. Objectives: The aims of this study were the following: 1) to elucidate the plasma responses of endocannabinoids, N-acylethanolamines, and gastrointestinal peptides to a palatable (sweet), unpalatable (bitter), and sensory-acceptable (tasteless control) food, and 2) to verify whether some of these bioactives can serve as plasma biomarkers of food liking in humans. Methods: Threepuddingsproviding 60 kcal (35%fromproteins, 62%fromcarbohydrates, and3%fromfats) butwith different taste were developed. Twenty healthy subjects (11 women and 9men; mean age 28 y and BMI 22.7 kg/m2), selected because they liked the puddings in the order sweet> control> bitter, participated in a randomized crossover study based on a modified sham feeding (MSF) protocol. Blood samples at baseline and every 5 min up to 20 min after the MSF were analyzed for gastrointestinal peptides, endocannabinoids, and N-acylethanolamines. Thirty minutes after the MSF, energy intake at an ad libitum breakfast was measured. Results: After theMSF, no response was observed in 7 of 9 gastrointestinal peptidesmeasured. Ghrelin concentration at 20 min after the sweet and bitter puddings was 25 % lower than after the control pudding (P = 0.04), and pancreatic polypeptide response after the sweet pudding was 23 % greater than after the bitter pudding (P = 0.02). The plasma response of 2-arachidonoylglycerol after the sweet pudding was 37%and 15 % higher than after the bitter (P < 0.001) and control (P = 0.03