Intracellular calcium chelation and pharmacological SERCA inhibition of Ca2+ pump in the insular cortex differentially affect taste aversive memory formation and retrieval

► Importance of calcium buffering and the role of intracellular calcium deposits during cognitive processes. ► Intracellular calcium dynamics in the insular cortex are crucial during different stages of taste aversive memory formation. ► Effects of hampering changes in cytoplasmic calcium and inhibiting SERCA activity in the insular cortex on taste memory. ► BAPTA-AM, but not thapsigargin, attenuates acquisition and/or consolidation of taste aversive memory. ► Neither BAPTA-AM nor thapsigargin affected taste aversive memory retrieval.