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Genetic determinants of cilantro preference
Author(s) -
Mauer Lilli,
Brenner Darren R,
ElSohemy Ahmed
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.350.6
Subject(s) - preference , food science , microbiology and biotechnology , mathematics , biology , statistics
Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) is an herb that is widely consumed globally, and has purported health benefits ranging from antibacterial to anticancer activities. Cilantro consumption differs between populations and descriptions of its flavor and odor differ greatly between those who either like or dislike the herb. Although genetic factors have been proposed to explain the difference in cilantro preference, no genes have yet been identified. The objective was to determine the prevalence of cilantro disliking in a multi‐ethnic population of young adults and to identify genetic polymorphisms that influence cilantro preference. Subjects (n=1525) between the ages of 20–29 years rated their liking/disliking of cilantro on a 9‐point scale. Subjects reporting ‘have not tried’ or ‘would not try’ (n=291) were excluded from the analysis. DNA was isolated from blood samples and genome‐wide scans were performed on 550 Caucasian subjects using an Affymetrix 6.0 chip. A total of 58 SNPs reached GWAS significance (p<5x10 −6 ). Several SNPs were genotyped in a larger multi‐ethnic population (n=1234) and mean cilantro ratings compared between genotypes within each ethnic group. The proportion of subjects rating 1–3 (classified as disliking cilantro) was 11.8% for Caucasians, 11.1% for Asians and 4.9% for south Asians. Understanding the genetic basis for food preferences will enhance our knowledge of human dietary habits. Grant Funding Source : Advanced Foods and Materials Network