Yamamoto Takashi, Inui-Yamamoto Chizuko
Health Science Research Center, Kio University, 4-2-4 Umami-naka, Koryo, Kitakatsuragi, Nara, 635-0832, Japan.
Department of Oral Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, 1-8 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
NPJ Sci Food. 2023 Jan 27;7(1):3. doi: 10.1038/s41538-023-00178-2.
The sodium salt of glutamic acid, or monosodium glutamate (MSG), has two effects in foods: one is to induce a unique taste called umami, which is one of the five basic tastes, and the other is to make food palatable (i.e., flavor-enhancing or seasoning effects). However, the mechanism behind how MSG makes food more palatable remains poorly understood, although many food scientists seem to believe that the umami taste itself plays an important role. Here, we propose an alternative notion regarding this topic based on previous and recent studies. When added to complex food compositions, MSG facilitates the binding of existing kokumi substances to kokumi receptors. In turn, these bound kokumi substances enhance the intensity of umami, sweet, salty, and fatty tastes, resulting in increased palatability accompanied by kokumi flavor, such as thickness, mouthfulness, and continuity. The requisite for sufficient palatability and kokumi flavor is a good balance of umami and kokumi substances. This framework gives a scientifically useful background for providing newly developed foods, including cultured meat and plant-based meat substitutes, with good taste characteristics.
谷氨酸钠盐，即味精（MSG），在食品中有两种作用：一是能诱发一种名为鲜味的独特味道，鲜味是五种基本味道之一；二是能使食物变得美味可口（即增味或调味效果）。然而，尽管许多食品科学家似乎认为鲜味本身起着重要作用，但味精使食物更美味可口背后的机制仍知之甚少。在此，我们基于以往和近期的研究，就该主题提出一种不同的观点。当添加到复杂的食物成分中时，味精会促进现有的厚味物质与厚味受体的结合。反过来，这些结合的厚味物质会增强鲜味、甜味、咸味和脂肪味的强度，从而使适口性增加，并伴有厚味风味，如浓郁度、饱满度和持续性。实现足够适口性和厚味风味的必要条件是鲜味和厚味物质的良好平衡。这一框架为赋予新开发的食品（包括培养肉和植物基肉类替代品）良好的口味特征提供了科学有用的背景。
