Methods of Analyzing Taste Preference Reveal Menthol’s Ability to Drive Nicotine Consumption

We developed a series of two-bottle choice tests to evaluate taste preference in rats, comparing nicotine alone to nicotine solutions flavored with saccharine or menthol. Only mentholated solutions were found to be significantly preferred across several methods of assessment, suggesting a superior ability to mask nicotine’s aversiveness compared to sweeteners.