Protein suppresses both bitterness and oleocanthal-elicited pungency of extra virgin olive oil.

The Mediterranean diet, considered one of the healthiest in the world, is characterized in part by the major source of its fat, which is extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Among the health benefits of consuming EVOOs is the presence of phenolic compounds, which have been shown to lower the incidence of coronary heart disease and are suspected of providing many other health benefits. These phenolic compounds also contribute to the flavor of EVOO, adding both specific pungency in the throat and bitter notes that are valued by connoisseurs but reported to be unpleasant by naïve consumers.

Oral Cooling and Carbonation Increase the Perception of Drinking and Thirst Quenching in Thirsty Adults.

Fluid ingestion is necessary for life, and thirst sensations are a prime motivator to drink. There is evidence of the influence of oropharyngeal stimulation on thirst and water intake in both animals and humans, but how those oral sensory cues impact thirst and ultimately the amount of liquid ingested is not well understood. We investigated which sensory trait(s) of a beverage influence the thirst quenching efficacy of ingested liquids and the perceived amount ingested.

Salivary Amylase: Digestion and Metabolic Syndrome.

Salivary amylase is a glucose-polymer cleavage enzyme that is produced by the salivary glands. It comprises a small portion of the total amylase excreted, which is mostly made by the pancreas. Amylases digest starch into smaller molecules, ultimately yielding maltose, which in turn is cleaved into two glucose molecules by maltase.

Opponency of astringent and fat sensations.

In most cultures, people ingest a variety of astringent foods and beverages during meals, but the reasons for this practice are unclear. Many popular beliefs and heuristics, such as high tannin wines should be balanced with fatty foods, for example 'red wine with red meat', suggest that astringents such as pickles, sorbets, wines, and teas 'cleanse' the palate while eating. Oral astringents elicit 'dry, rough' sensations [1], in part, by breaking down mucinous lubricating proteins in saliva [2,3].

Unusual pungency from extra-virgin olive oil is attributable to restricted spatial expression of the receptor of oleocanthal.

Oleocanthal, a major phenolic compound in extra-virgin olive oil with antiinflammatory properties, elicits an unusual oral pungency sensed almost exclusively in the throat. This contrasts with most other common oral irritants, such as cinnamaldehyde, capsaicin, and alcohol, which irritate mucus membranes throughout the oral cavity. Here, we show that this rare irritation pattern is a consequence of both the specificity of oleocanthal for a single sensory receptor and the anatomical restriction of this sensory receptor to the pharynx, within the oral cavity.

Individual differences in AMY1 gene copy number, salivary α-amylase levels, and the perception of oral starch.

Background: The digestion of dietary starch in humans is initiated by salivary α-amylase, an endo-enzyme that hydrolyzes starch into maltose, maltotriose and larger oligosaccharides. Salivary amylase accounts for 40 to 50% of protein in human saliva and rapidly alters the physical properties of starch. Importantly, the quantity and enzymatic activity of salivary amylase show significant individual variation.

The genetics of bitterness and pungency detection and its impact on phytonutrient evaluation.

Perceptions of food vary as a function of an individual's genetic factors, such as the set of alleles coding for their taste, irritation, and olfaction receptor proteins. We established a direct link between individual differences in sensitivity to the glucosinolates, a family of bitter compounds in vegetables and roots, and genetic variations in the bitter taste receptor (hTAS2R38) for these compounds. These individual differences in the perception of nutrients likely evolved to influence ingestion.

Direct method for determining seed and skin proanthocyanidin extraction into red wine.

A method was developed for determining the amount of seed and skin proanthocyanidin extraction into wines by direct measurement. This method was based upon the analysis of proanthocyanidin cleavage products after acid catalysis in the presence of excess phloroglucinol. On the basis of the analysis of proanthocyanidin extracts from grape tissues, two observations were made as follows: (i) the seed and skin proanthocyanidin extension subunit compositions were considerably different from each other, and (ii) their composition did not vary with extraction time.

Sulfur aroma precursor present in S-glutathione conjugate form: identification of S-3-(hexan-1-ol)-glutathione in must from Vitis vinifera L. cv. Sauvignon blanc.

When Sauvignon blanc or Gros Manseng grape must was percolated through an immobilized gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase column, there was a significant increase in the concentration of S-3-(hexan-1-ol)-L-cysteine, the precursor of 3-mercaptohexan-1-ol, a compound that contributes to the varietal aroma of wines made from these grapes. Low- and high-resolution liquid secondary ion mass sepectrometry (LSIMS) analyses established the presence of S-3-(hexan-1-ol)-glutathione in Sauvignon blanc must. The identification of this compound suggests that the S-3-(hexan-1-ol)-L-cysteine in grapes is produced by the catabolism of S-3-(hexan-1-ol)-glutathione.