Molecular structure

and activity
relationships of taste
Sweet, bitter, acid
and salt

Taste
Taste molecules
Sweeteners
Bitter agents
Sour compounds
Salt
Flavour enhancers & Umami compounds.

Sensory molecules
Tingle
Cooling
Warming
Astringent
Technology of Food Flavorants and Colorants
A.Sangamithra, Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
Perundurai, TN

Molecular structure and activity relationships of taste

Sweet, bitter, acid and salt

Tastes -by taste buds - throughout the oral

cavity (tongue, palate, pharynx, larynx, and in
the cheeks of infants).
Majority of taste buds are located on the tongue
within papillae little
average adult has roughly 10,000 taste buds,
children have more but there exists a large
variation within human populations.
Damaged taste buds are quickly replaced within
7 to 10 days
Detectors are maintained throughout life to
serve as seekers of nutrients and final
protection to the body from potentially harmful
Technology of Food Flavorants and Colorants
materials.
A.Sangamithra, Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
Perundurai, TN

Ability to taste - decrease or become

damaged

over time from age

oral infections
gastric reflux (a common cause)
Repeated scalding
Smoking
illness (diabetes mellitus, pernicious anemia)
certain drugs
pesticide and metal exposure
head trauma
Technology of Food Flavorants and Colorants
surgical
procedures
A.Sangamithra,
Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
Perundurai, TN

Salty & sour tastants- permeate the

taste cell wall through ion specific
channels
Sweet, bitter, and umami tastes - bind
to cell surface receptors
The electrochemical changes that
signal the brain are ultimately
dependent on ion concentration
Technology of Food Flavorants and Colorants
A.Sangamithra, Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
Perundurai, TN

SYNOPSES OF TASTES
For salty taste - the positive ions (e.g.,
Na+) enter the taste cells through
Na+ channels - in the taste cell
membrane
Causing a depolarization of Ca2+
Ca2+ enters the cell through voltage
sensitive cell wall channels
As the interior of the cell becomes
more positively charged, a small
electric current is produced, a
transmitter is released and increased
firing in the primary afferent nerve
Technology of Food Flavorants and Colorants
A.Sangamithra, Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
Perundurai, TN

Umami
The word umami Japanese
Foods that contain L-glutamate
meat broths (particularly chicken)
aged cheese (e.g., parmesan)

Monosodium glutamate to enhance

the taste of foods.

Technology of Food Flavorants and Colorants

A.Sangamithra, Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
Perundurai, TN

CHEMESTHESIS

(Trigeminal

response)

Chem = chemical and esthesis = ability to perceive

or Feel
Other sensations - perceived in the mouth
Ex: Spicy hot, cooling, and tingle
Trigeminal nerve - anterior oral cavity and tongue,
nasal cavity, face and parts of the scalp
Chemical sensitivity response is carried to the brain
during eating not only by the trigeminal
But also by the
Glossopharyngeal nerves - posterior tongue and oral pharynx
Vagus nerves - nasal and oral pharynx

Primary evolution of these nerves is to provide a

pain response to high temperature or injury.
Chemesthesis
responses
Technology of Food Flavorants
and Colorants - result from chemical
Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
irritation ofA.Sangamithra,
nerve systems
that sense heat, cold, or
Perundurai, TN

Chemicals causing pungency,

astringency, cooling effect properties

Sensory molecules
Tingle
Cooling
Warming
Astringent

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A.Sangamithra, Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
Perundurai, TN

Tingle
Tingling paresthesia
To pins and needles or buzzing
Pin prickling or pain
Perceived on the tongue and lips
Also be experienced on the gums, teeth,
cheeks and roof of the mouth

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A.Sangamithra, Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
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It synergizes with other attributes of the

product
Carbonation & alcoholic strength enhanced
Other sensory effects are perceived differently,
usually perceived as enhanced and preferred
Effect can be perceived as refreshing or
cleansing
anti-microbial properties of the tingle chemicals
could be beneficial
Two chemical types
Olefinic alkamides
Acetylenic alkamides
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A.Sangamithra, Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
Perundurai, TN

11

Cooling
Cooling - chemicals stimulatechemesthetic thermoreceptors that
register cold temperatures
l - Menthol volatile & oil soluble
permeate the tongue where it
activates cooling
cooling of l-menthol also depends
on the volatility of this compound ,
concentration
At higher concentrations - lmenthol will stimulate nociceptors,
producing an irritating, biting, and
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of Food Flavorants
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even
burning
effect
in the mouth
A.Sangamithra, Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
Perundurai, TN

12

Technology of Food Flavorants and Colorants

A.Sangamithra, Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
Perundurai, TN

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Pungency
Certain chemicals in spicy, hot foods - excite the neurons
responsible for sensing heat
Information - carried by the same nerve fibers,
nociceptors - pain & heat
The brain is tricked to perceive thermal heat and thus in
addition to pain often initiates responses such as
sweating and face reddening
An active ingredient in hot foods is capsaicin (trans-8methyl-N-vanilly-6-nonenamide)
A molecular receptor has been found in the chemesthetic
nerve endings, which respond to capsaicin, local tissue
damage. & high temperatures (43C)
This receptor is an integral membrane protein and has
been labeled vanilloid receptor type-1 VR1, as it is the
vanilly group of capsaicin that is thought to interact with
Flavorants and Colorants
VR1. Technology of Food
A.Sangamithra, Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
Activation of VR1 causesPerundurai,
Ca+2 TNto flow into the nerve

14

Examples of edible foodstuffs that are used to

provide warming in cooking
contains at least one pungent chemical irritant
are pepper, chili pepper, ginger, Szechuan
pepper, mustard, white mustard, horseradish,
cloves and onions.

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Ingredients exhibit a warming effect

Capsaicin (chilli pepper)
Piperine (black pepper)
Gingerols and zingerone (ginger)
Eugenol (cloves)
Allyl isothiocyanate (mustard and horse
radish),
Phenethyl isothiocyanate (white mustard)

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A.Sangamithra, Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
Perundurai, TN

16

Technology of Food Flavorants and Colorants

A.Sangamithra, Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
Perundurai, TN

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Astringency
The chemesthetic neurons also mediate
tactile responses
Acids and phenols
tannins, polyphenols, aluminum salts ,
acids
Tannins in foods - a chemical stimuli, but
they
the
tactile
response
Tannins give
a produce
dry rough
feel
in the
mouth of
astringency
cause tightening effect in the cheeks and facial
muscles (puckering)
Tannins bind to salivary proteins &
mucopolysaccharides
causing them to aggregate or precipitate, thus
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robbing
A.Sangamithra, Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
18
Perundurai, TN

Classification of
Flavorings

Flavors -sensory impression of a food or

other substance, and is determined mainly
by the chemical senses of taste & smell
Flavorings - Concentrated preparations,
with or without flavor adjuncts required in
the manufacture, used to impart flavor, with
the exception of salt, sweet, or acid tastes
They are not intended to be consumed as
such

Smell + Taste =
Flavor
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Flavorings Types
Natural Flavoring substance
substance obtained by substance appropriate
physical, microbiological, or enzymatic
processes from a foodstuff or material of
vegetable or animal origin as such or after
processing by food preparation processes.

Nature Identical Flavoring substance

Substances obtained by chemical processes,
which are identical to flavoring substances that
are naturally present

Artificial Flavoring substance

Substances that are not from natural product
but are intended for eating, These types of
products are usually produced in a factory.
Technology of Food Flavorants and Colorants
A.Sangamithra, Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
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Natural Flavoring Plant

Sources
Herbs and spices - intrinsically
highly aromatic and flavorful used single or as seasoning
blends
Other aromatic plant- source
of essential oils

Vanilla - develops its

characteristic
flavor profile
after postharvest
fermentation and curing
Coffee, tea, and cocoa beverages
Technology of Food Flavorants and Colorants
A.Sangamithra, Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
Perundurai, TN

22

Herbs containing cineole - eucalyptus-like

-as light or fresh and their odor may be
penetrating, initially warming, cooling
Herbs containing thymol/carvacrol - all
richly sweet and spicy, aromatic, warm, richly
herbaceous thyme
Herbs containing alcohols/esters - green,
herbaceous nuance with a hint of balsamic,
floral notes
Herbs containing phenolics sage initially
cooling but then warmly spicy
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A.Sangamithra, Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
Perundurai, TN

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Aromatic Plants - Oleoresin, Essential Oils

Citrus Leaf and Flower Oils
Mint Oils
Fruit, Fruit Juices, and Concentrates

Vanilla Vanillin - as sharply acidic with a

slightly bitter back-note and a pronounced
pungency
Coffee - 1.2 to 1.9% caffeine
Tea - an essential oil (about 0.5%) formed
during fermentation; caffeine (1.85.0%):
tannins (1318%)
Cocoa
800+
aromatic
compounds on
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roasting A.Sangamithra, Dept.Perundurai,
TN

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Nature Identical Flavorings

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Artificial Flavorings
These food flavorings are typically produced by
fractional distillation and additional chemical
manipulation of naturally sourced chemicals
Mixtures of synthetic compounds recognized as
safe - in foods
Approved solvents (e.g., water, ethanol,
propylene glycol, triethyl citrate, benzyl alcohol,
and triacetin)
Carriers (e.g., salt, maltodextrin, dextrose)
As required to produce the flavoring in the
desired form and concentration.
Ex: Ethyl vanillin, which is artificial and smells
and tastes like vanillin yet is roughly 3 times
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more
taste-intensive
when added to ice cream,
A.Sangamithra, Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
Perundurai, goods.
TN
confectionery and baked

26

Chemical

Flavour

Allylpyrazine

Roasted nut

Methoxypyrazines

Earthy vegetables

2-Isobutyl-3
Methoxypyrazine

Green pepper

Acetyl-L-Pyrazines

Popcorn

2-Acetoxy Pyrazine

Toasted flavours

Aldehydes

Fruity, green

Alcohols

Bitter, medicinal

Esters

Fruity

Ketones

Butter, caramel

Pyrazines

Brown, burnt, caramel

Phenolics

Medicinal, smokey

Terpenoids

Citrus, piney

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A.Sangamithra, Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
Perundurai, TN

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Flavor Potentiators
Flavour enhancers are not the same as
flavours
Compounds that have no flavor of their own
but yet intensify or enhance the flavor of a
food
Ethyl butyrate + methyl anthranilate
enhances the grape character of the methyl
anthranilate
Traditional - true flavor potentiators
Table salt
Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
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Nucleotides
A.Sangamithra, Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
28
Perundurai, TN

Monosodium glutamate & 5-nucleotides Japanese researchers as occurring naturally

in food ingredients - enhance the flavor of
traditional recipes
Isolated and identified MSG from sea tangle
(Laminiaria Japanica) brown algae
Identified the histidine salt of 5-inosinic acid
in dried bonito (type of fish)

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A.Sangamithra, Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
Perundurai, TN

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identified guanosine monophosphate

as the sensory enhancer in shiitake
mushrooms (Lentinus edodus)
Two other amino acids - identified
Tricholomic acids
Ibotenic acids

Japanese mushrooms

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A.Sangamithra, Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
Perundurai, TN

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Flavor Potentiators in Foods

MSG and 5-Nucleotides
Yeast Extracts
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Proteins (HVP)
Table salt
Beefy Meaty Peptide -found in a
papain digest of beef
Umami tasting glutamate conjugates
Alapyridaine isolated from heated
glucose/alanine solutions
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A.Sangamithra, Dept. of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College,
Perundurai, TN

31