• Shaun A Nguyen and Rodney J Schlosser.
• Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA. nguyensh@musc.edu
• Am J Rhinol Allergy. 2011 Sep 1; 25 (5): 342-5.

BackgroundTaste of diluents could have an effect on the ultimate patient compliance and acceptability of allergenic extract formulations used in sublingual allergy immunotherapy. This study assessed the palatability and compared the flavor and taste preferences of two sublingual diluents in allergic adult patients.MethodsThis was a prospective, randomized, double-blinded pilot study. Diluents A (50% glycerin and water) and B (0.4% phenol and water) were tested. Three drops were placed in the sublingual area beneath the tongue for 2 minutes before swallowing. A 5-point analog scale was used to allow ranking of the degree of taste acceptance. Patients were then given a 10-minute break where unsalted crackers and bottled water were provided to cleanse the palate between tasting periods. After tasting both samples, patients were asked to answer a final question regarding taste preference.ResultsOf the 30 patients, there were 15 men and 15 women with a mean age of 38 years (range, 18 to 61 years). For diluent A, 18 (60.0%) patients graded the diluent as having a “pleasant” taste, 8 (26.7%) patients gave a grade of “very pleasant,” and 4 (13.3%) patients said that they were “not sure.” For diluent B, 16 (53.3%) patients gave a grade of “unpleasant” and only 6 (20.0%) patients gave a grade of “pleasant.” Finally, 28 (93.3%) of the 30 patients chose diluent A over diluent B as the preferred diluent of choice (p < 0.0001).ConclusionFifty percent glycerin had better taste attributes and phenolated saline induced unpleasant oral sensation on sublingual dosing.

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