Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Gustatory sensation of l- and d-amino acids in humans

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Amino Acids Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Amino acids are known to elicit complex taste, but most human psychophysical studies on the taste of amino acids have focused on a single basic taste, such as umami (savory) taste, sweetness, or bitterness. In this study, we addressed the potential relationship between the structure and the taste properties of amino acids by measuring the human gustatory intensity and quality in response to aqueous solutions of proteogenic amino acids in comparison to d-enantiomers. Trained subjects tasted aqueous solution of each amino acid and evaluated the intensities of total taste and each basic taste using a category-ratio scale. Each basic taste of amino acids showed the dependency on its hydrophobicity, size, charge, functional groups on the side chain, and chirality of the alpha carbon. In addition, the overall taste of amino acid was found to be the combination of basic tastes according to the partial structure. For example, hydrophilic non-charged middle-sized amino acids elicited sweetness, and l-enantiomeric hydrophilic middle-sized structure was necessary for umami taste. For example, l-serine had mainly sweet and minor umami taste, and d-serine was sweet. We further applied Stevens’ psychophysical function to relate the total-taste intensity and the concentration, and found that the slope values depended on the major quality of taste (e.g., bitter large, sour small).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Araneda RC, Kini AD, Firestein S (2000) The molecular receptive range of an odorant receptor. Nat Neurosci 3:1248–1255

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Birch GG, Kemp SE (1989) Apparent specific volumes and tastes of amino acids. Chem Senses 14:249–258

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chandrashekar J, Mueller KL, Hoon MA, Adler E, Feng L, Guo W, Zuker CS, Ryba NJ (2000) T2Rs function as bitter taste receptors. Cell 100:703–711

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chandrashekar J, Kuhn C, Oka Y, Yarmolinsky DA, Hummler E, Ryba NJ, Zuker CS (2010) The cells and peripheral representation of sodium taste in mice. Nature 464:297–301

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Deutsch EW, Hansch C (1966) Dependence of relative sweetness on hydrophobic bonding. Nature 211:75

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Green BG, Schaffer GS, Glimore MM (1993) Derivation and evaluation of a semantic scale of oral sensation magnitude with apparent ratio properties. Chem Senses 18:683–702

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Green BG, Dalton P, Cowart B, Shaffer G, Rankin K, Higgins J (1996) Evaluating the ‘Labeled Magnitude Scale’ for measuring sensations of taste and smell. Chem Senses 21:323–334

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Huang AL, Chen X, Hoon MA, Chandrashekar J, Guo W, Tränkner D, Ryba NJ, Zuker CS (2006) The cells and logic for mammalian sour taste detection. Nature 442:934–938

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ikeda K (1909) New seasonings. J Tokyo Chem Soc 30:820–836 [in Japanese]

    Google Scholar 

  • Jang H-J, Kokrashvili Z, Theodorakis MJ, Carlson OD, Kim B-J, Zhou J, Kim HH, Xu X, Chan SL, Juhaszova M, Bernier M, Mosinger M, Margolskee RF, Egan JM (2007) Gut-expressed gustducin and taste receptors regulate secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104:15069–15074

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kawai M, Okiyama A, Ueda Y (2002) Taste enhancements between various amino acids and IMP. Chem Senses 27:739–745

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kroeze JH, Bartoshuk LM (1985) Bitterness suppression as revealed by split-tongue taste stimulation in humans. Physiol Behav 35:779–783

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kuninaka A (1960) Studies on taste of ribonucleic acid derivatives. J Agric Chem Soc Jpn 34:487–492 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Li X, Staszewski L, Xu H, Durick K, Zoller M, Adler E (2002) Human receptors for sweet and umami taste. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 99:4692–4696

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Malnic B, Hirono J, Sato T, Buck LB (1999) Combinatorial receptor codes for odors. Cell 96:713–723

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson G, Hoon MA, Chandrashekar J, Zhang Y, Ryba NJ, Zuker CS (2001) Mammalian sweet taste receptors. Cell 106:381–390

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson G, Chandrashekar J, Hoon MA, Feng L, Zhao G, Ryba NJ, Zuker CS (2002) An amino-acid taste receptor. Nature 416:199–202

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ninomiya Y, Funakoshi M (1989) Peripheral neural basis for behavioural discrimination between glutamate and the four basic taste substances in mice. Comp Biochem Physiol A Comp Physiol 92:371–376

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ninomiya T, Ikeda S, Yamaguchi S, Yoshikawa T (1966) Studies on the taste of various amino acids. Rep. 7th Sensory evaluation symposium, JUSE, pp 109–123 (in Japanese)

  • Ohara I, Otsuka S, Yugari Y (1988) Cephalic phase response of pancreatic exocrine secretion in conscious dogs. Am J Physiol 254:G424–G428

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schiffman SS, Clark TB 3rd (1980) Magnitude estimates of amino acids for young and elderly subjects. Neurobiol Aging 1:81–91

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schiffman SS, Dackis C (1975) Taste of nutrients: amino acids, vitamins, and fatty acids. Percept Psychophys 17:140–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schiffman SS, Sennewald K, Gagnon J (1981) Comparison of taste qualities and thresholds of d- and l-amino acids. Physiol Behav 27:51–59

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schiffman SS, Clark TB 3rd, Gagnon J (1982) Influence of chirality of amino acids on the growth of perceived taste intensity with concentration. Physiol Behav 28:457–465

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shallenberger RS, Acree TE, Lee CY (1969) Sweet taste of d and l-sugars and amino-acids and the steric nature of their chemo-receptor site. Nature 221:555–556

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Solms J, Vuataz L, Egli RH (1965) The taste of l- and d-amino acids. Experientia 21:692–694

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yamaguchi S (1967) The synergistic taste effect of monosodium glutamate and disodium 5′-inosinate. J Food Sci 32:473–478

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yamaguchi S (1987) Fundamental properties of umami in human taste sensation. In: Kawamura Y, Kare MR (eds) Umami: a basic taste. Marcel Dekker Inc, NY, pp 41–73

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamaguchi S, Kimizuka A (1979) Psychometric studies on the taste of monosodium glutamate. In: Filer LJ Jr., Garattini S, Kare MR, Reynolds AW, Wurtman RJ (ed) Glutamic acid: advances in Biochemistry and Physiology. Raven Press, NY, pp 35–54

  • Yamaguchi S, Yoshikawa T, Ikeda S, Ninomiya T (1971) Measurement of the relative taste intensity of some l-α-amino acids and 5′-nucleotides. J Food Sci 36:846–849

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshida M, Saito S (1969) Multidimensional scaling of taste of amino acids. Jpn Psychol Res 11:149–166

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang F, Klebansky B, Fine RM, Xu H, Pronin A, Liu H, Tachdjian C, Li X (2008) Molecular mechanism for the umami taste synergism. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 105:20930–20934

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao GQ, Zhang Y, Hoon MA, Chandrashekar J, Erlenbach I, Ryba NJ, Zuker CS (2003) The receptors for mammalian sweet and umami taste. Cell 115:255–266

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

Misako Kawai, Yuki Sekine-Hayakawa, Atsushi Okiyama are employees of Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Oral Neuroscience, Graduate School of Dental Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan

    Misako Kawai & Yuzo Ninomiya

  2. Institute for Innovation, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., 1-1 Suzuki-cho, Kawasaki-Ku, Kawasaki, 210-8582, Japan

    Misako Kawai & Yuki Sekine-Hayakawa

  3. Quality Assurance & External Scientific Affairs, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., 1-15-1 Kyobashi, Chuo-Ku, Tokyo, 104-8315, Japan

    Atsushi Okiyama

Authors
  1. Misako Kawai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yuki Sekine-Hayakawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Atsushi Okiyama
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yuzo Ninomiya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Misako Kawai.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kawai, M., Sekine-Hayakawa, Y., Okiyama, A. et al. Gustatory sensation of l- and d-amino acids in humans. Amino Acids 43, 2349–2358 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-012-1315-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-012-1315-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation