Topic: food-seeking

Hunger is a complex physiological drive that affects mood and motivation of an organism to promote food consumption and restore energy balance. Agouti-related peptide (Agrp) neurons in the hypothalamus sense hunger and promote feeding, however when food is unavailable, Agrp neurons promote adaptive behaviours by reducing anxiety and increasing food-seeking. Thus Agrp neurons respond to environmental stimuli that convey information relevant to food seeking and food detection. Indeed, food detection and consumption suppresses Agrp neural activity assessed by fibre photometry. However, when forag

Food odours are perceived before consumption and trigger physiological responses (e.g., appetite, saliva, digestive enzymes) to help the body prepare for ingestion. Importantly, smell perception through the olfactory bulb (OB) increases when hungry. The mechanism linking metabolism and olfaction remains unknown, but there is converging evidence that the olfactory system is a target for metabolic hormones associated with food intake regulation and may adapt the olfactory system to nutritional needs by promoting or inhibiting food-seeking. Here, we looked at the hormone ghrelin as a signal of en