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Food Oral Processing and Flavour

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Flavours and Fragrances".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 14964

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. María Ángeles Pozo-Bayón

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Guest Editor

CSIC-UAM—Instituto de Investigacion en Ciencias de la Alimentacion (CIAL), Madrid, Spain
Interests: wine; food; flavor chemistry; flavor–food matrix interactions; aroma release; oral processing; oral physiology; flavor perception

Dr. Carolina Muñoz-González

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor

CSIC-UAM—Instituto de Investigacion en Ciencias de la Alimentacion (CIAL), Madrid, Spain
Interests: food science; food chemistry; food oral processing; oral physiology; saliva; biochemistry; aroma release; flavor perception

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Food preferences and choices are very related to the sensory characteristics of the food product. This is mainly driven by the perception of flavour during food consumption, which is influenced, among others, by the oral processing of the food. In the mouth, flavour compounds are transferred from the food to the saliva phase to interact with salivary components (oral microbiota, salivary proteins, and cells). This transfer is defined by the chemical composition of the food product and by the factors related to the consumer physiology (mastication, salivation, swallowing, oral dimension, etc.), which will influence the chemical and biochemical transformation of the original food flavour compounds during consumption. From here, taste and trigeminal compounds activate the taste receptors and/or the trigeminal nerve located in the oral cavity, while aroma compounds are released in the air of the buccal cavity and migrate to the nasal cavity via the nasopharynx to interact with olfactory receptors (retronasal aroma). Once activated, sensory receptors transmit the information to the brain for flavour identification. In this context, this Special Issue is aimed at increasing the understanding of how food oral processing might affect food flavour, in an attempt to decipher the mechanisms influencing food choices among consumers.

Original research papers and review articles related, to but not limited, to the following topics are welcome: effect of physico-chemical characteristics of flavour compounds upon their release; flavour–food matrix interactions (polyphenols, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates); flavour–oral parameters (saliva, oral mucosa, teeth, and oral microbiota) interaction, chemical, and biochemical changes of flavour compounds by oral enzymes (saliva, cells, and microbiota); inter-individual differences in food oral processing (oral physiology food eating patterns, mastication, swallowing, gender, age, etc.); and effects on the flavour, development, or application of static and/or dynamic in vivo, in vitro, ex vivo, and in silico approaches to understand flavour release and its consecuences for flavour perception.

Dr. María Ángeles Pozo-Bayón
Dr. Carolina Muñoz-González
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

Food chemistry
Flavour chemistry
Food oral processing
Flavour (aroma, taste, and trigeminal) release
Flavour–food matrix interactions
Flavour–oral physiology interactions
In vitro, ex vivo, in vivo, and in silico methodologies to monitor aroma release

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 1137 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bioconversion of Glycosidic Precursors from Sour Guava (Psidium friedrichsthalianum Nied.) Fruit by the Oral Microbiota into Odor-Active Volatile Compounds

by Carmen Tatiana Cuadrado-Silva, Carolina Muñoz-González, Ramón Giraldo, María Ángeles Del Pozo-Bayón and Coralia Osorio

Molecules 2022, 27(4), 1269; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27041269 - 14 Feb 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1555

Abstract

The ability of the human oral microbiota to hydrolyze the glycosidic aroma precursor extract isolated from sour guava (Psidium friedrichsthalianum Nied.) fruits was studied herein. The glycosidic extract (GP) was incubated with a mixture of the oral microbiota isolated from three individuals’ saliva to evaluate the hydrolytic capacity of oral bacteria in the generation of odor-active compounds. The oral microbiota was able to release 1-hexanol from GP, under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Additionally, the aroma precursor extracts showed a decrease in the growth of harmful oral bacteria (Streptococcus and Actinomyces). This effect can be considered beneficial to human health because these bacteria have been related to different diseases of the bucco-respiratory tract. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Oral Processing and Flavour)

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11 pages, 1867 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Prebiotic Fructans on Retronasal Aroma from Elderly Individuals

by Carolina Muñoz-González, Marine Brule, Christophe Martin, Gilles Feron and Francis Canon

Molecules 2021, 26(10), 2906; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26102906 - 13 May 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1948

Abstract

This study investigates for the first time the role of fructans with prebiotic effects (oligofructose and inulin) on retronasal aroma among elderly individuals. The impact of oligofructose (20% w/w) on retronasal aroma release was investigated using proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) after 73 elderly individuals consumed aqueous solutions aromatized with five aroma compounds (pentan-2-one, nonan-2-one, hexan-2,3-dione, octanal and linalool). The influence of oligofructose and inulin (10% w/w) on the perceived intensity (n = 26) of two aroma descriptors (butter and floral) was also studied together with the possibility of a dumping effect on aroma evaluation due to the sweetness provided by the fructans. The results showed that the presence of oligofructose produced a significant reduction in retronasal aroma release, which could be generally explained by the physicochemical properties of aroma compounds. The presence of prebiotic fructans did not significantly affect the perceived intensity of butter and floral notes, although a dumping effect for the butter descriptor in the presence of oligofructose was observed. To conclude, these findings suggest that although fructans can exert an impact on retronasal aroma, they can be used at precise concentrations to increase the prebiotic fibre content of food products without affecting the aroma profile of foods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Oral Processing and Flavour)

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12 pages, 2482 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Different Snacks Produce a Distinct Effect in Salivary Protein Composition

by Carla Simões, Inês Caeiro, Laura Carreira, Fernando Capela e Silva and Elsa Lamy

Molecules 2021, 26(9), 2403; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26092403 - 21 Apr 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2357

Abstract

Saliva secretion changes in response to different stimulation. Studies performed in animals and humans suggest that dietary constituents may influence saliva composition, although the dynamics of these changes, and how they are specific for each type of food, are little known. The objective of the present study was to access the short-term effects of different foods in salivation and salivary protein composition. Twelve participants were tested for four snacks (yoghurt, bread, apple and walnuts). Non-stimulated saliva was collected before and at 0′, 5′ and 30′ after each snack intake. Flow rate, total protein, alpha-amylase enzymatic activity and salivary protein profile were analyzed. Yoghurt and apple were the snacks resulting in higher salivary changes, with higher increases in flow rate and alpha-amylase activity immediately after intake. The expression levels of immunoglobulin chains decreased after the intake of all snacks, whereas cystatins and one pink band (proline-rich proteins—PRPs) increased only after yoghurt intake. Walnut’s snack was the one resulting in lower changes, probably due to lower amounts eaten. Even so, it resulted in the increase in one PRPs band. In conclusion, changes in saliva composition varies with foods, with variable changes in proteins related to oral food processing and perception. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Oral Processing and Flavour)

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13 pages, 1939 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Differences in Salivary Proteins as a Function of PROP Taster Status and Gender in Normal Weight and Obese Subjects

by Melania Melis, Mariano Mastinu, Stefano Pintus, Tiziana Cabras, Roberto Crnjar and Iole Tomassini Barbarossa

Molecules 2021, 26(8), 2244; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26082244 - 13 Apr 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2050

Abstract

Taste plays an important role in processes such as food choices, nutrition status and health. Salivary proteins contribute to taste sensitivity. Taste reduction has been associated with obesity. Gender influences the obesity predisposition and the genetic ability to perceive the bitterness of 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP), oral marker for food preferences and consumption. We investigated variations in the profile of salivary proteome, analyzed by HPLC-ESI-MS, between sixty-one normal weight subjects (NW) and fifty-seven subjects with obesity (OB), based on gender and PROP sensitivity. Results showed variations of taste-related salivary proteins between NW and OB, which were differently associated with gender and PROP sensitivity. High levels of Ps-1, II-2 and IB-1 proteins belonging to basic proline rich proteins (bPRPs) and PRP-1 protein belonging to acid proline rich proteins (aPRPs) were found in OB males, who showed a lower body mass index (BMI) than OB females. High levels of Ps-1 protein and Cystatin SN (Cyst SN) were found in OB non-tasters, who had lower BMI than OB super-tasters. These new insights on the role of salivary proteins as a factor driving the specific weight gain of OB females and super-tasters, suggest the use of specific proteins as a strategic tool modifying taste responses related to eating behavior. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Oral Processing and Flavour)

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18 pages, 3548 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Salt and Aroma Compound Distributions Influence Flavour Release and Temporal Perception While Eating Hot-Served Flans

by Marion Emorine, Chantal Septier, Christophe Martin, Sylvie Cordelle, Etienne Sémon, Thierry Thomas-Danguin and Christian Salles

Molecules 2021, 26(5), 1300; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26051300 - 28 Feb 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2266

Abstract

To counteract the negative effect of salt overconsumption on health, strategies have been developed to reduce the salt content in food products. Among them, two promising strategies based on odour-induced saltiness enhancement and the heterogeneous distribution of flavour compounds were combined and assessed in four-layer cream-based snacks. To investigate the relationship between saltiness enhancement, temporal release and perception of flavour compounds in hot snacks with heterogeneous distribution of salt and aroma compounds, complementary techniques were used: nose space PTR-Tof-MS (Proton Transfer Reaction-Time of Flight–Mass Spectrometry) to assess the release of aroma compounds in vivo, and ATI (Alternate Time-Intensity) and TDS Temporal Dominance of Sensations) to evaluate perception as a function of time. The obtained results confirmed that the strategy of concentrating salt in the outer layer of a multilayer product was the optimal solution with respect to taste intensity. Heterogeneous salt distribution decreased aroma compound release and consequently aroma intensity but in different ways according to both salt and added aroma distribution in the food matrix. The salty taste enhancement could be due to the initial strong dominance of the salty sensation at the very beginning of the eating process. The involved mechanisms rely on a combination of physico-chemical and perceptual effects which are not clear yet. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Oral Processing and Flavour)

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15 pages, 1945 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Interactions among Odorants, Phenolic Compounds, and Oral Components and Their Effects on Wine Aroma Volatility

by María Perez-Jiménez, Adelaida Esteban-Fernández, Carolina Muñoz-González and María Angeles Pozo-Bayón

Molecules 2020, 25(7), 1701; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25071701 - 8 Apr 2020

Cited by 33 | Viewed by 3944

Abstract

To determine the impact of oral physiology on the volatility of typical wine aroma compounds, mixtures of a synthetic wine with oral components (centrifuged human saliva (HS), artificial saliva with mucin (AS), and buccal epithelial cells (BC)) were prepared. Each wine type was independently spiked with four relevant wine odorants (guaiacol, β-phenyl ethanol, ethyl hexanoate, and β-ionone). Additionally, the impact of four types of phenolic compounds (gallic acid, catechin, grape seed extract, and a red wine extract) on aroma volatility in the HS, AS, and BC wines was also assessed. Static headspace was measured at equilibrium by solid phase microextraction–GC/MS analysis. Results showed a significant impact of oral components on the volatility of the four tested odorants. Independently of the type of aroma compound, aroma volatility was in general, higher in wines with BC. Moreover, while guaiacol and ethyl hexanoate volatility was significantly lower in wines with HS compared to wines with AS, β-ionone showed the opposite behavior, which might be related to metabolism and retention of mucin, respectively. Phenolic compounds also showed a different effect on aroma volatility depending on the type of compound and wine. Gallic acid had little effect on polar compounds but it enhanced the volatility of the most hydrophobic ones (ethyl hexanoate and β-ionone). In general, flavonoid type polyphenols significantly reduced the volatility of both polar (guaiacol and β-phenyl ethanol) and hydrophobic compounds (β-ionone in HS and BC wines), but through different mechanisms (e.g., π–π interactions and hydrophobic binding for polar and apolar odorants respectively). On the contrary, flavonoids enhanced the volatility of ethyl hexanoate, which might be due to the inhibition exerted on some salivary enzymes (e.g., carboxyl esterase) involved in the metabolism of this odorant molecule. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Oral Processing and Flavour)

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