Peptide array-based screening identifies bitterness-masking agents

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K19753
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 59:Sports sciences, physical education, health sciences, and related fields
• Research Institution: University of Shizuoka
• Principal Investigator: Ito Keisuke 静岡県立大学, 食品栄養科学部, 准教授 (40580460)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-06-29 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 苦味 / マスキング / ペプチド / ペプチドアレイ / 味覚受容体

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Bitterness-masking agents for functional food ingredients facilitate the optimum use of the latter to improve human health. However, an efficient strategy to find bitterness-masking agents remains to be established. Here we developed a novel screening method using peptide array technology to identify bitterness-masking agents. From the amino acid sequence of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), several (-)-epigallocatechin-gallate (EGCG)-binding peptides were discovered using peptide array analysis as a model screening. The binding mechanisms were elucidated through deletion analysis and alanine-scanning analysis. In most cases, the interaction between the basic amino acid residues and EGCG was required for binding. Two EGCG-binding peptides suppressed the activation of the bitter taste receptor hTAS2R39, indicating a bitterness-masking effect.

Free Research Field

食品化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

「良口に苦し」と言われるように、ポリフェノール等の多くの食品機能性成分は好ましくない苦味を呈する。いかに健康に良いことが分かっていても、ヒトはおいしくない食品を日々の生活の中で食べ続けることはできないことから、実生活の中で食品機能性成分を活用するためには、苦味味の抑制（マスキング）が不可欠な課題である。本研究では機能性ペプチド探索ツールであるペプチアレイを応用し、苦味マスキング成分の新規探索法を開発した。