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Selected Papers from the 16th Weurman Flavour Research Symposium

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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 25591

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Elisabeth Guichard

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Guest Editor

Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation (CSGA), INRAE, Dijon, France
Interests: analytical chemistry; flavour release; food chemistry; flavour–matrix interaction; odour–taste interactions; dairy products; food oral processing

Dr. Jean-Luc Le Quéré

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Centre for Taste, Smell and Feeding Behaviour (Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, CSGA), INRAE, 21065 Dijon, France
Interests: aroma; flavour; flavour release; in vivo flavour release; perception; direct injection mass spectrometry; PTR-MS; APCI-MS; GC-O; GC-MS; key flavour compounds; volatolomics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This 16th edition of the Weuman Flavour Research Symposium (https://symposium.inrae.fr/weurman2020/) will be held 100% online (Live and On-demand) on May (4–6), 2021. This conference, created in 1975 in memory of Cornelius Weurman and held every three years in different countries in Europe, is an internationally recognised Symposium gathering well-known scientists from academia and industry from different disciplines in the field of flavour research: chemistry, biology, neurophysiology and psychology.

The organizers and the Scientific Committee would like to invite scientists with expertise covering different topics in flavour science, from flavour generation in food/non-food products to flavour perception, well-being and health, who will participate in the symposium, to contribute to this Special Issue.

Original papers and review articles are welcome in the following main subject areas:

Multimodal flavour perception (from a mixture of stimuli to brain integration)
Flavour perception, from molecules to receptors
Flavour perception, food intake and well-being
Flavour representation (naturality, authenticity)
Flavour generation
Modelling flavour compounds activity
New analytical tools for flavour analysis

Dr. Elisabeth Guichard
Dr. Jean-Luc Le Quéré
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Flavour
Aroma
Flavour release
Multimodal perception
Olfactory and taste receptors
Flavour naturality and authenticity
Analytical chemistry

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 200 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Special Issue “Selected Papers from the 16th Weurman Flavour Research Symposium”

by Elisabeth Guichard and Jean-Luc Le Quéré

Molecules 2022, 27(11), 3594; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27113594 - 2 Jun 2022

Viewed by 1670

Abstract

Since 1975, the Weurman Flavour Research Symposium has been held every three years in different European countries, and has been finally established as an international event that offers unique opportunities for distinguished scientists from academia and industry, from different disciplines, and from all [...] Read more.

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 16th Weurman Flavour Research Symposium)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

16 pages, 4642 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Increasing Higher Alcohols and Acetates in Low-Alcohol Beer by Proteases

by Claire Lin Lin, Mikael Agerlin Petersen and Andrea Gottlieb

Molecules 2023, 28(11), 4419; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28114419 - 29 May 2023

Viewed by 1265

Abstract

The market of non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beer has grown continuously thanks to the advocacy for healthy and responsible drinking. Non-alcoholic and low-alcohol products usually possess less higher alcohols and acetates and more aldehyde off-flavors due to the manufacturing processes. The employment of non-conventional yeasts partially mitigates this problem. In this study, we used proteases to optimize the wort amino acid profile for better aroma production during yeast fermentation. The design of experiments was applied to increase the leucine molar fraction, aiming to boost 3-methylbutan-1-ol and 3-methylbutyl acetate (banana-like aromas). This led to an increase from 7% to 11% leucine in wort after protease treatment. The aroma output in the subsequent fermentation, however, was yeast-dependent. An 87% increase of 3-methylbutan-1-ol and a 64% increase of 3-methylbutyl acetate were observed when Saccharomycodes ludwigii was used. When Pichia kluyveri was employed, higher alcohols and esters from valine and isoleucine were increased: 58% more of 2-methylpropyl acetate, 67% more of 2-methylbutan-1-ol, and 24% more of 2-methylbutyl acetate were observed. Conversely, 3-methylbutan-1-ol decreased by 58% and 3-methylbutyl acetate largely remained the same. Apart from these, the amounts of aldehyde intermediates were increased to a varying extent. The impact of such increases in aromas and off-flavors on the perception of low-alcohol beer remains to be evaluated by sensory analysis in future studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 16th Weurman Flavour Research Symposium)

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11 pages, 1566 KiB

Open AccessArticle

OOPS, the Ontology for Odor Perceptual Space: From Molecular Composition to Sensory Attributes of Odor Objects

by Alice Roche, Nathalie Mejean Perrot and Thierry Thomas-Danguin

Molecules 2022, 27(22), 7888; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27227888 - 15 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1252

Abstract

When creating a flavor to elicit a specific odor object characterized by odor sensory attributes (OSA), expert perfumers or flavorists use mental combinations of odor qualities (OQ) such as Fruity, Green, and Smoky. However, OSA and OQ are not directly related to the molecular composition in terms of odorants that constitute the chemical stimuli supporting odor object perception because of the complex non-linear integration of odor mixtures within the olfactory system. Indeed, single odorants are described with odor descriptors (OD), which can be found in various databases. Although classifications and aroma wheels studied the relationships between OD and OQ, the results were highly dependent on the studied products. Nevertheless, ontologies have proven to be very useful in sharing concepts across applications in a generic way and to allow experts’ knowledge integration, implying non-linear cognitive processes. In this paper, we constructed the Ontology for Odor Perceptual Space (OOPS) to merge OD into a set of OQ best characterizing the odor, further translated into a set of OSA thanks to expert knowledge integration. Results showed that OOPS can help bridge molecular composition to odor perception and description, as demonstrated in the case of wines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 16th Weurman Flavour Research Symposium)

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15 pages, 3050 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Comparison of Odorants in Beef and Chicken Broth—Focus on Thiazoles and Thiazolines

by Huiqi Yeo, Dimitrios P. Balagiannis, Jean H. Koek and Jane K. Parker

Molecules 2022, 27(19), 6712; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27196712 - 9 Oct 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1889

Abstract

The shift in consumer landscape towards vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian diets has created an unprecedented challenge in creating meat aroma from plant-based alternatives. The search for potential vegan solutions has thus led to a renewed interest in authentic meat flavour profiles. To gain a better understanding of the qualitative odour differences between boiled beef and boiled chicken, aroma extracts were isolated using Likens-Nickerson simultaneous distillation-extraction (SDE), selected expressly because the in-situ heating of the sample facilitates the capture of aroma intermediates during the cooking process, thereby mimicking the cooking of meat in stocks and stews. The extracts were then analysed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and GC-Olfactometry (GC-O). Most of the volatiles identified in this study were sulfur-containing compounds, such as sulfides, thiols, mercaptoaldehydes and mercaptoketones, which are derived from the Maillard reaction. Meanwhile, lipid oxidation results in the formation of unsaturated aldehydes, such as alkenals and alkadienals. Families of thiazoles and 3-thiazolines were found in the extracts. Two novel 3-thiazolines (5-ethyl-2,4-dimethyl-3-thiazoline and 2-ethyl-4,5-dimethyl-3-thiazoline) which may also contribute to the meaty aroma were identified in this work and synthesised from their respective aldehyde and mercaptoketone precursors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 16th Weurman Flavour Research Symposium)

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10 pages, 2096 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Retronasal Aroma of Beef Pate Analyzed by a Chewing Simulator

by Kazuhiro Hayashi, Yuji Nakada, Etienne Sémon and Christian Salles

Molecules 2022, 27(10), 3259; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27103259 - 19 May 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1788

Abstract

In retronasal aroma, the targeted aroma compounds are released from food during chewing. The changes in the food structures during chewing strongly influence the release of the compounds, therefore affecting the perception of food. Here, the relationship between retronasal aroma and food deliciousness based on the physicochemical properties of aroma compounds was examined. We considered the consumption of solid foods and the effect of oral parameters in elderly people. Beef pate was used as a model food sample to study the effect of the release of aroma compounds under controlled in vitro mastication and salivation conditions using a chewing simulator. We identified the effects of coexisting ingredients such as beef fat on the time course behavior of the release of aroma compounds. In particular, the release of the middle types of aromas was significantly faster with stronger chewing force, and higher with a high fat content of the sample. In addition, a larger release intensity was observed when soy proteins were partially substituted for beef proteins. Using an appropriate model saliva, a change in the salting-out effect from the saliva composition was found to be a factor, which could explain the lowering of aroma sensation in an elderly person. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 16th Weurman Flavour Research Symposium)

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14 pages, 1239 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Robust Fermentation Process for Natural Chocolate-like Flavor Production with Mycetinis scorodonius

by Marina Rigling, Fabienne Heger, Maria Graule, Zhibin Liu, Chen Zhang, Li Ni and Yanyan Zhang

Molecules 2022, 27(8), 2503; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27082503 - 13 Apr 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2593

Abstract

Submerged fermentation of green tea with the basidiomycete Mycetinis scorodonius resulted in a pleasant chocolate-like and malty aroma, which could be a promising chocolate flavor alternative to current synthetic aroma mixtures in demand of consumer preferences towards healthy natural and ‘clean label’ ingredients. To understand the sensorial molecular base on the chocolate-like aroma formation, key aroma compounds of the fermented green tea were elucidated using a direct immersion stir bar sorptive extraction combined with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry–olfactometry (DI-SBSE-GC-MS-O) followed by semi-quantification with internal standard. Fifteen key aroma compounds were determined, the most important of which were dihydroactinidiolide (odor activity value OAV 345), isovaleraldehyde (OAV 79), and coumarin (OAV 24), which were also confirmed by a recombination study. Furthermore, effects of the fermentation parameters (medium volume, light protection, agitation rate, pH, temperature, and aeration) on the aroma profile were investigated in a lab-scale bioreactor at batch fermentation. Variation of the fermentation parameters resulted in similar sensory perception of the broth, where up-scaling in volume evoked longer growth cycles and aeration significantly boosted the concentrations yet added a green note to the overall flavor impression. All findings prove the robustness of the established fermentation process with M. scorodonius for natural chocolate-like flavor production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 16th Weurman Flavour Research Symposium)

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20 pages, 2342 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Varietal Influence of Flavour Precursors from Grape Marc on Monoterpene and C₁₃-Norisoprenoid Profiles in Wine as Determined by Membrane-Assisted Solvent Extraction (MASE) GC-MS

by Lisa Pisaniello, Flynn Watson, Tracey Siebert, Leigh Francis and Josh L. Hixson

Molecules 2022, 27(7), 2046; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27072046 - 22 Mar 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1940

Abstract

The winemaking by-product grape marc (syn. pomace) contains significant quantities of latent flavour in the form of flavour precursors which can be extracted and used to modulate the volatile composition of wine via chemical hydrolysis. Varietal differences in grapes are widely known with respect to their monoterpene content, and this work aimed to extend this knowledge into differences due to cultivar in volatiles derived from marc precursors following wine-like storage conditions. Marc extracts were produced from floral and non-floral grape lots on a laboratory-scale and from Muscat Gordo Blanco marc on a winery -scale, added to a base white wine for storage over five to six months, before being assessed using a newly developed membrane-assisted solvent extraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method. The geraniol glucoside content of the marc extracts was higher than that of juices produced from each grape lot. In all wines with added marc extract from a floral variety, geraniol glucoside concentration increased by around 150–200%, with increases also observed for non-floral varieties. The relative volatile profile from extracts of the floral varieties was similar but had varied absolute concentrations. In summary, while varietally pure extracts would provide the greatest control over flavour outcomes when used in winemaking, aggregated marc parcels from floral cultivars may provide a mechanism to simplify the production logistics of latent flavour extracts for use in the wine sector. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 16th Weurman Flavour Research Symposium)

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13 pages, 1094 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Astringency Sensitivity to Tannic Acid: Effect of Ageing and Saliva

by Mei Wang, Chantal Septier, Hélène Brignot, Christophe Martin, Francis Canon and Gilles Feron

Molecules 2022, 27(5), 1617; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27051617 - 28 Feb 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2368

Abstract

Astringency is an important sensory characteristic of food and beverages containing polyphenols. However, astringency perception in elderly people has not been previously documented. The aim of the present work was to evaluate sensitivity to astringency as a function of age, salivary flow and protein amount. Fifty-four panellists, including 30 elderly people (age = 75 ± 4.2 years) and 24 young people (age = 29.4 ± 3.8 years), participated in this study. Astringency sensitivity was evaluated by the 2-alternative forced choice (2-AFC) procedure using tannic acid solutions. Whole saliva was collected for 5 min before and after the sensory tests. The results showed that the astringency threshold was significantly higher in the elderly group than the young group. No correlation was observed between the salivary protein amount and threshold value. However, a negative correlation between salivary flow and threshold was observed in the young group only. These results showed a difference in oral astringency perception as a function of age. This difference can be linked to salivary properties that differ as a function of age. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 16th Weurman Flavour Research Symposium)

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11 pages, 3143 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Real-Time Detection of Phenylacetaldehyde in Wine: Application of a Microwave Sensor Based on Molecularly Imprinted Silica

by Jérôme Rossignol, Philippe Cayot, Didier Stuerga, Régis D. Gougeon and Elias Bou-Maroun

Molecules 2022, 27(5), 1492; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27051492 - 23 Feb 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1474

Abstract

Molecularly imprinted sol–gel silica (MIS) coupled to a microwave sensor was designed and used to detect phenylacetaldehyde (PAA), a chemical tracer of wine oxidation. The developed method is fast, cheap and could replace the classical chromatographic methods, which require a tedious sample preparation and are expensive. To reach our objective, five MIS and their control non-imprinted silica (NIS) were synthesized and their extraction capacity toward PAA was studied in hydro alcoholic medium. The selected polymers, based on this first step, were subjected to a selectivity study in the presence of PAA and three other competing molecules. The best polymer was integrated in a microwave sensor and was used to assess PAA in red wine. The developed sensor was able to detect PAA at the µg·L⁻¹ level, which is below the off-flavour threshold. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 16th Weurman Flavour Research Symposium)

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15 pages, 2397 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification of Non-Volatile Compounds That Impact Flavor Disliking of Whole Wheat Bread Made with Aged Flours

by Wen Cong, Edisson Tello, Christopher T. Simons and Devin G. Peterson

Molecules 2022, 27(4), 1331; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27041331 - 16 Feb 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2161

Abstract

Whole wheat flour has a shorter shelf life than refined wheat flour due to off-flavor development. An untargeted liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) flavoromics approach was applied to identify compounds that negatively impact the flavor liking in whole wheat bread made from aged flours. The chemical profiles of thirteen breads made from aged flours were obtained using LC/MS and modeled by orthogonal partial least squares (OPLS) to predict flavor liking. Top predictive chemical features (negatively correlated) were identified as pinellic acid (9S,12S,13S-trihydroxy-10E-octadecenoic acid), 12,13-dihydroxy-9Z-octadecenoic acid, and 1-(9Z,12Z-octadecadienoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine. The sensory analysis confirmed the three compounds increased the bitterness intensity of the bread samples. The formation of the trihydroxy fatty acid bitter compound, pinellic acid (9S,12S,13S-trihydroxy-10E-octadecenoic acid), was impacted by the lipoxygenase activity of the flour; however, there was no influence on the formation of 12,13-dihydroxy-9Z-octadecenoic acid or 1-(9Z,12Z-octadecadienoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine. Additionally, the concentrations of all bitter compounds were significantly higher in bread made from aged flour versus non-aged flour. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 16th Weurman Flavour Research Symposium)

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16 pages, 1067 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Ageing on Pea Protein Volatile Compounds and Correlation with Odor

by Estelle Fischer, Rémy Cachon and Nathalie Cayot

Molecules 2022, 27(3), 852; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27030852 - 27 Jan 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2944

Abstract

Vegetal proteins are of high interest for their many positive aspects, but their ‘beany’ off-flavor is still limiting the consumer’s acceptance. The aim of this work was to investigate the conservation of pea protein isolate (PPI) during time and especially the evolution of their organoleptic quality under two storage conditions. The evolution of the volatile compounds, the odor and the color of a PPI has been investigated during one year of storage. PPI was exposed to two treatments mimicking a lack of control of storage conditions: treatment A with light exposition at ambient temperature (A—Light 20 °C) and treatment B in the dark but with a higher temperature (B—Dark 30 °C). For each sampling time (0, 3, 6, 9, 12 months), the volatile compounds were determined using HS-SPME-GC-MS, the odor using direct sniffing, and the color using the measurement of L*, a*, b* parameters. Treatment A was the most deteriorating and led to a strong increase in the total volatile compounds amount, an odor deterioration, and a color change. Furthermore, a tentative correlation between instrumental data on volatile compounds and the perceived odor was proposed. By the representation of volatile compounds sorted by their sensory descriptor, it could be possible to predict an odor change with analytical data. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 16th Weurman Flavour Research Symposium)

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19 pages, 1132 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Production of an Anise- and Woodruff-like Aroma by Monokaryotic Strains of Pleurotus sapidus Grown on Citrus Side Streams

by Friederike Bürger, Maximilian Koch, Marco A. Fraatz, Alejandra B. Omarini, Ralf G. Berger and Holger Zorn

Molecules 2022, 27(3), 651; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27030651 - 19 Jan 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2506

Abstract

The production of natural flavors by means of microorganisms is of great interest for the food and flavor industry, and by-products of the agro-industry are particularly suitable as substrates. In the present study, Citrus side streams were fermented using monokaryotic strains of the fungus Pleurotus sapidus. Some of the cultures exhibited a pleasant smell, reminiscent of woodruff and anise, as well as herbaceous notes. To evaluate the composition of the overall aroma, liquid/liquid extracts of submerged cultures of a selected monokaryon were prepared, and the volatiles were isolated via solvent-assisted flavor evaporation. Aroma extract dilution analyses revealed p-anisaldehyde (sweetish, anisic- and woodruff-like) with a flavor dilution factor of 2¹⁸ as a character impact compound. The coconut-like, herbaceous, and sweetish smelling acyloin identified as (2S)-hydroxy-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1-propanone also contributed to the overall aroma and was described as an aroma-active substance with an odor threshold in air of 0.2 ng L⁻¹ to 2.4 ng L⁻¹ for the first time. Supplementation of the culture medium with isotopically substituted l-tyrosine elucidated this phenolic amino acid as precursor of p-anisaldehyde as well as of (2S)-hydroxy-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1-propanone. Chiral analysis via HPLC revealed an enantiomeric excess of 97% for the isolated product produced by P. sapidus. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 16th Weurman Flavour Research Symposium)

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