There is a lack of research on the combined effects of genetic variations (specifically CD36 SNPs-rs1761667 and rs1527483), dietary food habits (vegetarian or not), and the salivary environment on
obesity and taste sensitivity, especially in the Indian population. The current study aims to better understand the relationship between impaired taste perception, fat consumption, higher BMI and
obesity development by examining the combined association between CD36 SNPs,
oleic acid (OA) detection threshold, and food habits among Indian participants. Furthermore, the relationship between oral
fatty acid (FAs) sensitivity and taste physiology factors linked to
inflammation and
salivary proteins was considered. Participants with the minor allele (AA/AG) of CD36 (in both rs1527483 and rs1761667) consumed more fat, particularly saturated FAs (p = 0.0351). Salivary
lipopolysaccharide, which causes
inflammation, was significantly greater in non-vegetarians with a higher BMI (p < 0.05), and it exhibited a negative correlation (r = -0.232 and p < 0.05) with Ki67 gene expression, a marker for taste progenitor cells. A positive correlation (r = 0.474, p = 0.04) between TLR4
mRNA levels and the OA detection threshold was also observed. Participants with BMI > 25 kg/m2 had substantially higher TNF-α and
IL-6 receptor mRNA expression levels, but there were no significant differences between the vegetarian and non-vegetarian groups. However, salivary CA-VI, which has a buffering capability on the oral environment, was lower in non-vegetarian adults with BMI >25. Thus, it was shown that non-vegetarians with
overweight and
obesity in India were in at-risk groups for the CD36 SNP (AA/AG at rs1761667 and rs1527483) and had higher levels of inflammatory markers, which exacerbated alterations in food behaviour and physiological changes, indicating their relevance in the development of
obesity.