Verhaltens-und elektrophysiologische Experimente über den Geschmackssinn bei Saguinus midas tamarin (Callitrichidae)

The activity in the gustatory nerve from the anterior part of the tongue, the chorda tympani proper nerve, has been recorded during stimulation of the tongue of a New World monkey, Saguinus midas tamarin. A series of 0.3 M sugars and 0.07 M NaCl, 0.07 M sucrose, 0.004 M acetic acid and 0.00005 M quinine hydrochloride were used as taste stimuli. The concentrations of the last four stimuli were the same as those earlier found to be the lowest concentrations at which this monkey in behavioural experiments discriminates between them and water. The records showed that these threshold concentrations all elicited a neural response. Further, the neural activities during stimulation with the series of 0.3 M sugars were recorded. Using the amplitudes of the responses as a measure, the order between them was found to be fructose > glucose > lactose > arabinose > sucrose = galactose > raffinose. This order was discussed and related with the order found in behavioural experiments. With both methods, fructose seemed to be the strongest stimulus, but then the order among the sugars differed.