The taste characteristics of sodium-saccharin in the rat: a re-examination of the dual taste hypothesis

Abstract

A conditioned flavor aversion (CFA) was used to measure the taste characteristics of 0.005 and 0.025 M Na-saccharin in the rat. At neither concentration did the rats show generalization to NaCl, quinine HCl or SO₄, sucrose octa-acetate or HCl, whereas generalization to sucrose was found at both concentrations. When the CFA was formed to 0.0001 M quinine HCl, no direct evidence was found for generalization of the aversion to either saccharin concentration. Thus at the two concentrations used Na-saccharin would appear to be primarily sucrose-like in the rat taste system when behavioral criteria are used.