Schiffman S S, Clark T B, Gagnon J
Physiol Behav. 1982 Mar;28(3):457-65. doi: 10.1016/0031-9384(82)90140-8.
Amino acids have markedly different taste properties depending upon their chirality and the structure of their side chains. They can modify the taste quality of foods in which they are found naturally or to which they are added depending on their concentrations. In this study, the influence of chirality of amino acids on the growth in perceived taste intensity with concentration was examined. Serial dilutions of 19 D-amino acids were presented to young subjects who indicated the relative intensities of the dilutions using the magnitude estimation procedure. The slopes of the psychophysical functions for 13 of the 19 D-amino acids which related log concentration and log perceived intensity were greater than the slopes for L-amino acids that have been reported in a previous study. The ratio (average slope D-amino acids)/(average slope L-amino acids) was found to be 1.21. The ratio of the slopes for individual enantiomers bears some relationship to taste quality. No conclusive relationships between the slopes of the psychophysical functions were found with chemical structure of thresholds, however. Implications for receptor mechanisms and nutrition are discussed.
氨基酸因其手性和侧链结构的不同而具有显著不同的味觉特性。根据其浓度，它们可以改变天然含有或添加了它们的食物的味道品质。在本研究中，研究了氨基酸手性对味觉强度随浓度增加的影响。向年轻受试者呈现19种D-氨基酸的系列稀释液，受试者使用量级估计程序指出稀释液的相对强度。19种D-氨基酸中13种的心理物理学函数斜率（与对数浓度和对数感知强度相关）大于先前研究中报道的L-氨基酸的斜率。发现（D-氨基酸平均斜率）/（L-氨基酸平均斜率）的比值为1.21。单个对映体的斜率比值与味道品质有一定关系。然而，心理物理学函数的斜率与阈值的化学结构之间未发现确凿关系。文中讨论了对受体机制和营养的影响。
