Watanabe Tatsukichi, Kumura Sojiro, Kimura Shunsuke, Toko Kiyoshi
Graduate School and Faculty of Information Science and Electrical Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.
Research and Development Center for Five-Sense Devices, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.
Molecules. 2024 Nov 25;29(23):5573. doi: 10.3390/molecules29235573.
Currently, lipid/polymer membranes are used in taste sensors to quantify food taste. This research aims to improve sweetness sensors by more selectively detecting uncharged sweetening substances, which have difficulty obtaining a potentiometric response. Lipid/polymer membranes with varying amounts of tetradodecylammonium bromide (TDAB) and 1,2,4-benzene tricarboxylic acid (trimellitic acid) were prepared. The carboxyl groups of trimellitic acid bind metal cations, and the sweetness intensity is estimated by measuring the potential change, as a sensor response, when these cations are complexed with sugars. This research showed that the potential of a sensor using the membrane with enough trimellitic acid in a sucrose solution remained constant, regardless of TDAB amounts, but the potential in the tasteless, so-called reference solution, depended on TDAB. By optimizing the content of TDAB and trimellitic acid, a sensor response of -100 mV was achieved, which is over 20% more sensitive than a previous sensor. This sensor also demonstrated increased selectivity to sweetness, with similar interference from other tastes (saltiness, sourness, umami, and bitterness) compared to previous sensors. As a result, the sensitivity to sweetness was successfully improved. This result contributes to the development of novel sensors, further reducing the burden on humans in quality control and product development.
目前，脂质/聚合物膜被用于味觉传感器中以量化食物的味道。本研究旨在通过更有选择性地检测难以获得电位响应的不带电甜味物质来改进甜味传感器。制备了含有不同量溴化十四烷基铵（TDAB）和1,2,4-苯三甲酸（偏苯三酸）的脂质/聚合物膜。偏苯三酸的羧基与金属阳离子结合，当这些阳离子与糖络合时，通过测量作为传感器响应的电位变化来估计甜味强度。本研究表明，在蔗糖溶液中使用含有足够偏苯三酸的膜的传感器的电位保持恒定，与TDAB的量无关，但在无味的所谓参比溶液中的电位取决于TDAB。通过优化TDAB和偏苯三酸的含量，实现了-100 mV的传感器响应，比先前的传感器灵敏度高出20%以上。该传感器对甜味的选择性也有所提高，与先前的传感器相比，来自其他味道（咸味、酸味、鲜味和苦味）的干扰相似。结果，成功提高了对甜味的灵敏度。这一结果有助于新型传感器的开发，进一步减轻人类在质量控制和产品开发中的负担。
