Quantification of tastes of amino acids using taste sensors

Abstract

In this study, we quantified the tastes of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and demonstrated the bitterness suppression effect using taste sensors that can selectively evaluate two basic taste qualities. Bitterness and sweetness sensors with a lipid/polymer membrane were used to quantity bitterness and sweetness of amino acids, respectively. Simple linear regression analysis revealed that the response values obtained from the corresponding taste sensor (bitterness, sweetness) and the scores obtained in the sensory test showed a strong correlation, demonstrating that the intensity of bitterness and sweetness of amino acids can be estimated. Moreover, a significant decrease in the response value of the bitterness sensor was observed when l-arginine (l-Arg) was added to bitter amino acids, indicating that the bitterness suppression effect perceivable by humans can be demonstrated.