Research and Development Div., Kikkoman Co., Ltd., 399 Noda, Chiba 278-0037, Japan.
J Food Sci. 2013 Aug;78(8):C1136-43. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.12195.
Umami is one of 5 basic tastes that make foods savory and palatable. The umami aftertaste is a long-lasting taste sensation that is important for Japanese broth (dashi) utilized for various Japanese foods. Soy sauce is usually added when making dashi-based dishes; however, different soy sauces produce distinct effects on the umami aftertaste. In this study, we attempted to identify the substances that cause the suppression of the umami aftertaste in soy sauce by combining sensory analysis, size fractionation, chemical analysis, and enzymatic treatment. The suppressive substance was revealed to be polysaccharides with molecular weights between 44900 and 49700. The results of acid hydrolysis and enzymatic treatment suggested that the polysaccharides were cellulose. These results indicate that a type of water-soluble cellulose derived from soybean, wheat, or microorganisms has a suppressive effect on the umami aftertaste of soy sauce. Future studies should focus on developing a strategy that regulates the amount of these polysaccharides generated during soy sauce production, to maintain or enhance the umami aftertaste.
鲜味是使食物美味可口的 5 种基本味道之一。鲜味余味是一种持久的味觉感受，对用于各种日本食品的日本高汤（だし）很重要。制作基于高汤的菜肴时通常会添加酱油；然而，不同的酱油会对鲜味余味产生不同的影响。在这项研究中，我们通过感官分析、分级分离、化学分析和酶处理相结合，试图确定导致酱油鲜味余味抑制的物质。抑制物质被揭示为分子量在 44900 和 49700 之间的多糖。酸水解和酶处理的结果表明，这些多糖是纤维素。这些结果表明，来源于大豆、小麦或微生物的一种水溶性纤维素对酱油的鲜味余味具有抑制作用。未来的研究应集中于开发一种策略，以调节在酱油生产过程中生成的这些多糖的量，以维持或增强鲜味余味。
