Analysis and evaluation of the mechanism of astringency caused with foods

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25350111
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Eating habits
• Research Institution: Notre Dame Seishin University
• Principal Investigator: Kitabatake Naofumi ノートルダム清心女子大学, 人間生活学部, 客員教授 (30135610)
• Research Collaborator: TANI Fumito ; MASUDA Tetsuya ; TUKAZOE Shigeru ; MURAKAMI Hiroko ; NAKANISHI Momoko ; OBARA Narumi
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 渋味 / 唾液 / 唾液たんぱく質 / 不快味

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Astringency, as well as bitterness, induces the unpleasant taste and flavor of foods, while in some foods astringency gives a favorable characteristics to some foods. Recently it has been suggested that the salivary proteins participated the induction of astringent sensation by the formation of the insoluble complex of salivary proteins with astringent compounds, e.g. tannic acid. In this study following subject were focused. i)induction of astringency and its threshold value, ii)cytotoxicity of tannic acid; one of the typical astringent compound, and the preventing effect of saliva against such toxicity, iii)induction of astringency by proteins, iv)astringency of tea. These studies gave the supporting result to the hypothesis of the role of saliva shown above and some information on the physiological significance of saliva.

Free Research Field

食品科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

おいしさの研究は多く目にするが，まずさを対象とする研究は少ない。食べ物・食品を渋い，不味いと感じるのは，生体にとって有益でない成分の取り込みを未然に防ぐ生体防御反応のひとつである。この感覚は基本的な生体反応であるにも関わらず，その機構が明確にされていない。この機構解析を通して，食品の味、とりわけ渋味に関する本質的な意義を見出すことを目指した。
渋味を対象としてまずさを捉えることによって，まずさの実体を示し，食品の品質に対する否定的な面に加え，有意義な生理学的意義を検討した。また，渋味抑制法の開発や渋味抑制物質を見出すための知見を得，食品製造ならびに食品加工に対して有益な情報を得た。