New tailor-made nutritional guidance based on bitter taste sensitivity and its genetic polymorphism analysis in Japanese people.

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K13020
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 08030:Family and consumer sciences, and culture and living-related
• Research Institution: Tohoku Seikatsu Bunka College
• Principal Investigator: Yamaki Michiko 東北生活文化大学, 家政学部, 講師 (50382677)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 味覚 / 苦味受容体（TAS2Rs） / 遺伝子多型 / 個人差

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Bitter substances are perceived by bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs). The TAS2R38 gene polymorphisms influence individual differences in bitterness sensitivity to some typical artificial bitter substance, e.g., phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) for TAS2R38, but the effect of genetic factors on the bitterness sensitivity to other bitter components in foods is not clear. In this study, we conducted a questionnaire survey on sensory evaluation tests and taste preference, focusing on vegetables and fruits containing bitter substances that are thought to have an impact on the frequency of daily intake , especially on cruciferous vegetables and grapefruit. Furthermore, we investigated the relationship between TAS2Rs (38, 46 and 19) gene polymorphisms and bitter taste sensitivity.

Free Research Field

栄養学・食品学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

抗がん作用のあるアブラナ科野菜の苦味感受性や嗜好性について報告がなされているが(Sandell et al. 2006; Shen et al. 2016等）これら先行研究によって統一されたものではなく、その消費量はTAS2R38の遺伝子型間で有意な差がないとも報告されている（ Feeney et al 2014; Inoue et al. 2013; Choi et al. 2016）。一方、日本人では前述の様なアンケート調査や官能評価試験があまり実施されおらず、このような調査を実施することで日本人の遺伝子多型の特徴を明らかにすることが可能になり、学術的意義がある。