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Kokumi Substance as an Enhancer of Koku

Biochemistry, Physiology, and Food Science

  • Book
  • © 2024

Overview

Editors:
  1. Motonaka Kuroda

    1. Institute of Food Sciences & Technologies, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Kawasaki, Japan

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  • Introduces the basic concepts and latest findings on kokumi substances
  • Describes kokumi substances from biochemistry, physiology, food science, and sensory science perspectives
  • Examines the biochemical and physiological mechanisms of the perception of kokumi substances

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Table of contents (17 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-x
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  2. General Concept

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
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    2. Koku Perception and Kokumi Substances

      • Toshihide Nishimura
      Pages 3-13

    3. Kokumi Substance as an Enhancer of Koku: Its Definition

      • Motonaka Kuroda
      Pages 15-22

  3. Kokumi γ-Glutamyl-Peptides

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 23-23
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    2. Biochemical Studies on Kokumi γ-Glutamyl Peptifdes

      • Motonaka Kuroda
      Pages 25-32

    3. Kokumi Substances from Garlic; Discovery of Glutathione (GSH; γ-Glu-Cys-Gly) as a Kokumi Substance

      • Yoichi Ueda, Motonaka Kuroda
      Pages 33-40

    4. Kokumi Substances in Soybean Seeds

      • Masayuki Shibata, Yasuki Matsumura
      Pages 41-82

    5. Kokumi Substances in Thai-Fermented Freshwater Fish, “Pla-ra”

      • Preecha Phuwapraisirisan, Apiniharn Phewpan, Panita Ngamchuachit, Kannapon Lopetcharat, Chirapiphat Phraephaisarn, Corinna Dawid et al.
      Pages 83-110

    6. Identification and Quantification of the Kokumi Peptide, γ-Glu-Val-Gly, in Foods

      • Motonaka Kuroda, Toshimi Mizukoshi
      Pages 111-131

    7. Mechanism for Perceiving Kokumi Substances: Involvement of Calcium-Sensing Receptor (CaSR) in the Perception of Kokumi Substances

      • Motonaka Kuroda
      Pages 133-144

    8. Molecular Mechanism of Enhancement in Basic Tastes by Kokumi Substances: A Potent Calcium-Sensing Receptor (CaSR) Agonist, γ-Glutamyl-Valinyl-Glycine, Amplifies Sweet-Induced ATP Secretion Via Cell-to-Cell Communication in a Mouse Taste Bud

      • Yutaka Maruyama
      Pages 145-157

    9. Enhancement of Combined Umami and Salty Taste by Glutathione in the Human Tongue and Brain

      • Tazuko K. Goto, Andy Wai Kan Yeung, Hiroki C. Tanabe, Yuki Ito, Han-Sung Jung, Yuzo Ninomiya
      Pages 159-175

    10. γ-Glutamyl-Valyl-Glycine (γ-Glu-Val-Gly) and Glutathione (γ-Glu-Cys-Gly) as Kokumi Substances in Rodents

      • Takashi Yamamoto
      Pages 177-186

    11. Effects of the Potent Kokumi Peptide, γ-Glutamyl-Valyl-Glycine, on Sensory Characteristics of Foods and Beverages

      • Motonaka Kuroda
      Pages 187-227

    12. Perceptual and Nutritional Impact of Kokumi Compounds

      • Ciarán Forde, Markus Stieger
      Pages 229-242

  4. Amino Acids, α-Peptides, and Their Related Kokumi Substances

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 243-243
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    2. Amino Acids, α-Peptides, and Their Related Kokumi Substances

      • Motonaka Kuroda
      Pages 245-252

  5. Lipid-Related Kokumi Substances

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 253-253
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    2. Biochemical Studies on Lipid-Related Kokumi Substances

      • Motonaka Kuroda
      Pages 255-258
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Keywords

About this book

This book provides the basic concepts and latest findings on kokumi substances. It covers not only the topics related to food chemistry, but also the biochemical and physiological mechanisms of the perception of kokumi substances.  


Food palatability is determined by many factors, including taste, aroma, texture, color, physiological condition, and circumstances. The attribute called “koku” is used in Japan to express delicious foods. The definition of koku attribute was previously proposed to be caused by the sensation of richness, body, lingering (continuity), and mouthfulness in terms of taste, aroma, and texture. Kokumi substance is one of the taste-related koku enhancers and is defined as a substance that enhances complexity, richness (body), and lastingness (continuity), although it has no taste itself at the dose.  


The topics in this book cover physiological studies, including the receptor mechanism, taste nerve recording, and human brain responses using functional MRI. It also discusses the sensory characteristics of kokumi substances when added to foods and the effect of kokumi substances on the satiety. The intended readers are university students, researchers and technologists in food science, food chemistry, nutritional sciences, taste physiology, and neuroscience. Non-expert readers interested in food palatability and the deliciousness of foods may also find this book useful. 

Editors and Affiliations

  • Institute of Food Sciences & Technologies, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Kawasaki, Japan

    Motonaka Kuroda

About the editor

Motonaka Kuroda has been a Corporate Fellow at Institute of Food Sciences & Technologies, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Japan, since 2021. His research interests include sensory science, molecular mechanism and food chemistry of flavor substances.  He has been a member of board of delegates at Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry since 2018, and a councilor of Japanese Association for the Study of Taste and Smell since 2019.  




Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Kokumi Substance as an Enhancer of Koku

  • Book Subtitle: Biochemistry, Physiology, and Food Science

  • Editors: Motonaka Kuroda

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-8303-2

  • Publisher: Springer Singapore

  • eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life Sciences, Biomedical and Life Sciences (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-981-99-8302-5Published: 20 February 2024

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-981-99-8305-6Due: 22 March 2024

  • eBook ISBN: 978-981-99-8303-2Published: 19 February 2024

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: X, 296

  • Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: Food Science, Physiology, Neurosciences, Neurosciences

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