Table 1.
Labelling of the different boluses collected along the masticatory sequence.
Figure 1.
Example of a texture profile analysis (TPA) curve.
This kind of curve was obtained for a cereal food bolus collected after mastication. Hardness is taken as the maximal force reached during the first compression. Adhesiveness is the area under the negative curve after the first compression, representing the work done to pull the food bolus apart in tension. Cohesiveness is the ratio of the area under the second compression curve to the area under the first compression. Springiness is the duration of the contact between the piston tool and the bolus during the second compression divided by the duration of the contact during the first compression.
Figure 2.
Bolus characteristics analysis.
Median particle size (d50) [A], hardness (in N), adhesiveness (in N.s), springiness and cohesiveness measured at 65% [B] or 20% [C] of deformation of the bolus are presented for each bolus collected at several time points between the beginning and end of the complete masticatory sequence (B1c to Bsw). Dominance rate for hardness, stickiness and dryness perceptions were calculated from 50 observations and are shown at the same time points as physical measurements [D]. Springiness and cohesiveness are dimensionless. Significant differences between two consecutive boluses are shown with lower-case letters for granulometric and rheological data (P<0.05), and with * for sensory data (P<0.15). Although a very small significance was observed for springiness measured at 65% deformation, no significant difference was noted with SNK test between consecutive boluses. Results for physical measurements are means ± SEM (N = 20). Points obtained for a given variable are joined up to improve readability.
Figure 3.
Sequential analysis of bolus characteristics.
Changes observed during the progress of masticatory sequence in mechanical hardness (A), adhesiveness (B), cohesiveness (C) and springiness (D) calculated on data obtained from TPA performed at 65% deformation, associated changes in proportions of subjects perceiving hardness (E) stickiness (F) and dryness (G) as being dominant in the bolus, and bolus median particle size (H). Bars represent slopes calculated between values from two consecutives boluses.