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Effects of Local Anesthetic on Taste and Feed Intake

Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115

ABSTRACT

Because local anesthetics selectively increase taste thresholds of certain compounds, their effects were tested on intake of feed with .1% quinine, .32% acetic acid, or 2% NaCl. Feed intakes of goats fed a concentrated ration during a 2-day test were reduced 21% (P<.01), 15% (P<.01), and 15% (P<.01) by quinine, acetic acid, and NaCl as compared to 2-day pretest. With the addition of 500 mg/kg feed of Carbocaine HCl in combination with the other chemicals, feed intakes were nonsignificantly reduced only 4% by quinine, increased 5% by acetic acid (P<.02), but still decreased 15% by NaCl (P<.01). Sheep fed 333 mg/kg Carbocaine HCI in a concentrate ration increased their feed intake about 7% (P<.05) during the 2-day test and for at least 2 additional days relative to the pretest control period. Taste thresholds for bitter and acid are lower than those for salt and sweet in goats and sheep whereas, at least in humans, thresholds for bitter and acid tastes are more readily increased than those of salt and sweet by some local anesthetics. Therefore, local anesthetics may increase short-term feed intakes by accentuating the preferred taste of feed by reducing bitter and sour tastes.