Search Results (17)

Flavor, as one of the primary factors that attracts consumers, has always been a crucial indicator for evaluating the quality of food. From processing to final consumption, the conditions that affect consumers’ perception of the aroma of aquatic products can be divided into three stages: aroma formation, release, and signal transmission. Currently, there are few reviews on the formation, release, and perception of aroma in aquatic products, which has affected the product development of aquatic products. This review summarizes aroma formation pathways, the effects of processing methods, characteristic volatile compounds, various identification techniques, aroma-release influencing factors, and the aroma perception mechanisms of aquatic products. The Maillard reaction and lipid oxidation are the main pathways for the formation of aromas in aquatic products. The extraction, identification, and quantitative analysis of volatile compounds reveal the odor changes in aquatic products. The composition of aquatic products and oral processing mainly influence the release of odorants. The characteristic odorants perceived from the nasal cavity should be given more attention. Moreover, the relationship between various olfactory receptors (ORs) and the composition of multiple aromatic compounds remains to be understood. It is necessary to clarify the relationship between nasal cavity metabolism and odor perception, reveal the binding and activation mode of ORs and odor molecules, and establish an accurate aroma prediction model. Full article

Baijiu–peanut pairing is a popular food combination, wherein peanuts, particularly their lipid component, possess the potential to influence the flavor of baijiu and consequently modulate its aftertaste. To reveal the role of peanut lipid within this system, headspace experiments and equilibrium constant measurements were conducted. It was determined that peanut lipids are capable of inhibiting the release of flavor substances in baijiu, and this inhibitory effect is concentration-dependent. Molecular dynamics simulation results show a strong interaction between peanut lipids and ethanol (E binding = −2.181 kJ/mol), which weakens the binding energy between ethanol and compounds, resulting in 1 + 1 < 2 effect. The Intraoral SPME experiment revealed the retention effect lipid-coating on the aroma release of baijiu. The flavor substances retained in the oral coating can continuously contribute to the aftertaste perception of baijiu. Peanut lipids, leveraging the Marangoni effect of ethanol, play a role in prolonging the aftertaste of baijiu, either through direct or indirect ways. This study provides a scientific basis for understanding the complex flavor experience in the food pairing process. Full article

β C-S lyases (β-CSLs; EC 4.4.1.8) are enzymes catalyzing the dissociation of β carbon–sulfur bonds of cysteine S-conjugates to produce odorant metabolites with a free thiol group. These enzymes are increasingly studied for their role in flavor generation in a variety of food products, whether these processes occur directly in plants, by microbial β-CSLs during fermentation, or in the mouth under the action of the oral microbiota. Microbial β-CSLs react with sulfur aroma precursors present in beverages, vegetables, fruits, or aromatic herbs like hop but also potentially with some precursors formed through Maillard reactions in cooked foods such as meat or coffee. β-CSLs from microorganisms like yeasts and lactic acid bacteria have been studied for their role in the release of polyfunctional thiols in wine and beer during fermentation. In addition, β-CSLs from microorganisms of the human oral cavity were shown to metabolize similar precursors and to produce aroma in the mouth with an impact on retro-olfaction. This review summarizes the current knowledge on β-CSLs involved in flavor generation with a focus on enzymes from microbial species present either in the fermentative processes or in the oral cavity. This paper highlights the importance of this enzyme family in the food continuum, from production to consumption, and offers new perspectives concerning the utilization of β-CSLs as a flavor enhancer. Full article

Aroma is among of the most important criteria that indicate the quality of food and beverage products. Aroma compounds can be found as free molecules or glycosides. Notably, a significant portion of aroma precursors accumulates in numerous food products as nonvolatile and flavorless glycoconjugates, termed glycosidic aroma precursors. When subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis, these seemingly inert, nonvolatile glycosides undergo transformation into fragrant volatiles or volatiles that can generate odor-active compounds during food processing. In this context, microbial β-glucosidases play a pivotal role in enhancing or compromising the development of flavors during food and beverage processing. β-glucosidases derived from bacteria and yeast can be utilized to modulate the concentration of particular aroma and taste compounds, such as bitterness, which can be decreased through hydrolysis by glycosidases. Furthermore, oral microbiota can influence flavor perception by releasing volatile compounds that can enhance or alter the perception of food products. In this review, considering the glycosidic flavor precursors present in diverse food and beverage products, we underscore the significance of glycosidases with various origins. Subsequently, we delve into emerging insights regarding the release of aroma within the human oral cavity due to the activity of oral microbial glycosidases. Full article

Perception of flavor is a dynamic process during which the concentration of aroma molecules at the olfactory epithelium varies with time as they are released progressively from the food in the mouth during consumption. The release kinetics depends on the food matrix itself but also on food oral processing, such as mastication behavior and food bolus formation with saliva, for which huge inter-individual variations exist due to physiological differences. Sensory methods such as time intensity (TI) or the more-recent methods temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) and temporal check-all-that-apply (TCATA) are used to account for the dynamic and time-related aspects of flavor perception. Direct injection mass spectrometry (DIMS) techniques that measure in real time aroma compounds directly in the nose (nosespace), aimed at obtaining data that reflect the pattern of aroma release in real time during food consumption and supposed to be representative of perception, have been developed over the last 25 years. Examples obtained with MS operated in chemical ionization mode at atmospheric or sub-atmospheric pressure (atmospheric pressure chemical ionization APCI or proton-transfer reaction PTR) are given, with emphases on studies conducted with simultaneous dynamic sensory evaluation. Inter-individual variations in terms of aroma release and their relevance for understanding flavor perception are discussed as well as the evidenced cross-modal interactions. Full article

The interaction perception between aroma and oral chewing during food consumption has always been a hot topic in exploring consumers’ preferences and purchase desires. A chewing simulation system was set to find out the effect of key saliva components and chewing time on odorants released with grilled eel meat. Odor release did not always enhance with the degree of chewing, or the amount of saliva released. The breaking up of the tissue structure of the fish meat by the teeth encourages the release of odorants and the participation of saliva partially blocks this process. The release of pyrazine, alcohol, and acid compounds in grilled eel meat peaked within 20–60 s after chewing. Sufficient exposure of saliva to grilled eel meat will inhibit aromatic, ketone, ester, hydrocarbon, and sulfur compounds release. 3-methyl-2-butanol contributed to the subtle aroma differences that arise before and after eating grilled eel meat. Naphthalene, 2-acetylthiazole, 2-decenal, 2-undecanone, 5-ethyldihydro-2(3H)-furanone were the main odorants released in large quantities in the early stages of eating grilled eel and affected the top note. Consequently, the results provided the odorants information in aroma perception during grilled eel consumption and benefited the objective evaluation of grilled eel product optimization. Full article

The aims of the study were to evaluate the influence of pectin isolated from fireweed (FP) on the mechanical and rheological properties of agar (A) gel, to investigate the release of phenolic compounds (PCs) and pectin from A-FP gels at simulated digestion in vitro, and to evaluate the oral processing and sensory properties of A-FP gels. The hardness of A-FP gels decreased gradually with the increase in the concentration of FP added (0.1, 0.4, and 1.6%). The hardness of A-FP1.6 gel was 41% lower than A gel. Rheological tests found A gel was a strong physical gel (storage modulus (G′) >>loss modulus (G″)), and the addition of FP up to 1.6% did not significantly change its G’. The G″ value decreased in A-FP gels compared to A gel. The release of galacturonic acid (GalA) was 3.4 ± 0.5, 0.5 ± 0.2, 2.4 ± 1.0, and 2.2 ± 0.7 mg/mL after digestion of A-FP1.6 gel in the oral in vivo phase (OP) and subsequent incubation in simulated gastric (SGF), intestinal (SIF), and colonic (SCF) fluids in vitro. The incubation medium after OP, SGF, and SIF digestion of A-FP1.6 contained 24–64 μg GAE/mL of PCs, while SCF contained 144 μg GAE/mL, supposing a predominant release of antioxidant activity from the gel in the colon. Chewing to readiness for swallowing A-FP gel required less time and fewer chews with less activity of the masseter and temporalis muscles. A-FP1.6 gel had a lower likeness score for taste and consistency and a similar score for appearance and aroma when compared with A gel. Thus, A-FP gels were weakened compared to A gel and required less time and muscle activity for oral processing. A-FP gel had antioxidant activity due to the PCs associated with pectin, while A gel had no antioxidant activity. Full article

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

Reduced-fat food products can help manage diet-related health issues, but consumers often link them with poor sensory qualities. Thus, high-quality fat replacers are necessary to develop appealing reduced-fat products. A full-fat model emulsion was reduced in fat by replacing fat with either water, lactose, corn dextrin (CD), inulin, polydextrose, or microparticulated whey protein (MWP) as fat replacers. The effect of fat reduction and replacement, as well as the suitability of different types of fat replacers, were determined by analyzing fat droplet size distribution, composition, rheological and tribological properties, and the dynamic aroma release of six aroma compounds prevalent in cheese and other dairy products. None of the formulations revealed a considerable effect on droplet size distribution. MWP strongly increased the Kokini oral shear stress and viscosity, while CD exhibited similar values to the full-fat emulsion. All four fat replacers improved the lubricity of the reduced-fat samples. Butane-2,3-dione and 3-methylbutanoic acid were less affected by the changes in the formulation than butanoic acid, heptan-2-one, ethyl butanoate, and nonan-2-one. The aroma releases of the emulsions comprising MWP and CD were most similar to that of the full-fat emulsion. Therefore, CD was identified as a promising fat replacer for reduced-fat emulsions. Full article

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

The development of new food products can be expedited by understanding the physicochemical attributes that are most relevant to consumers. Although many objective analyses are possible, not all are a suitable proxy to serve as quality markers associated with sensory preferences. In this work, we selected nine candidate laboratory assays to use on six commercial salamis, which were also eaten and informally described by a consumer discussion group familiar with China-sourced meat products. Several objective measures were strongly related to the flavour perceptions: (i) texture: instrumental texture values, fat release at oral temperature and fat saturation ratios, (ii) aroma: volatile compounds (e.g., alcohols and esters) associated with microbial fermentation and spices (terpenes and sulphur compounds) and (iii) taste: kokumi taste receptor responses. The fat released at oral temperature was associated with unsaturated fatty acids (r = 0.73). However, there was less explanatory worth for associations between sensory perceptions and proximate composition, water activity, pH or L*, a*, b* colourimetry. Full article

The oral release behavior of wine aroma compounds was determined by using an in-mouth headspace sorptive extraction (HSSE) procedure. For this, 32 volunteers rinsed their mouths with a red wine. Aroma release was monitored at three time points (immediately, 60 s, and 120 s) after wine expectoration. Twenty-two aroma compounds belonging to different chemical classes were identified in the mouth. Despite the large inter-individual differences, some interesting trends in oral release behavior were observed depending on the chemical family. In general, esters and linear alcohols showed rapid losses in the mouth over the three sampling times and therefore showed a low oral aroma persistence. On the contrary, terpenes, lactones, and C₁₃ norisoprenoids showed lower variations in oral aroma release over time, thus showing a higher oral aroma persistence. Additionally, and despite their low polarity, furanic acids and guaiacol showed the highest oral aroma persistence. This work represents the first large study regarding in-mouth aroma release behavior after wine tasting, using real wines, and it confirmed that oral release behavior does not only depend on the physicochemical properties of aroma compounds but also on other features, such as the molecular structure and probably, on the characteristics and composition of the oral environment. Full article

Virgin olive oil (VOO) has unique chemical characteristics among all other vegetable oils which are of paramount importance for human health. VOO constituents are also responsible of its peculiar flavor, a complex sensation due to a combination of aroma, taste, texture, and mouthfeel or trigeminal sensations. VOO flavor depends primarily on the concentration and nature of volatile and phenolic compounds present in olive oil which can change dramatically depending on agronomical and technological factors. Another aspect that can change the flavor perception is linked to the oral process during olive oil tasting. In fact, in this case, some human physiological and matrix effects modulate the flavor release in the mouth. The present review aims to give an overview on VOO flavor, with particular emphasis on the mechanisms affecting its production and release during a tasting. Full article

This study aimed to systematically evaluate the effect of a commercial grape seed tannin extract (GSE) fully characterized (53% monomers, 47% procyanidins) on wine ester release and perception using a global approach. The behavior of two esters (ethyl hexanoate, ethyl decanoate) was studied in a control wine or in the same wine supplemented with the GSE in preconsumption (in vitro headspace-stir bar sorptive extraction-gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS-SBSE-GC/MS) and orthonasal perception) and consumption (intraoral-HS-SBSE-GC/MS and dynamic retronasal perception) conditions. For the compound ethyl hexanoate, no significant differences (p > 0.05) among wines were observed in the in vitro analyses while they were observed in the three in vivo experiments (p < 0.05). Thus, the wine supplemented with the GSE showed lower (35%) in vivo release and ortho (36%) and retronasal (16%) perception scores than the control wine. Overall, this suggests that components of the GSE could interact with this compound, directly and/or through complexes with oral components, affecting its release and conditioning its perception. However, perceptual interactions and effects of polyphenols on oral esterases cannot be discarded. On the contrary, the compound ethyl decanoate was not significantly affected by the addition of GSE. In conclusion, the addition of tannin extracts to wines can modulate aroma perception in a compound-dependent manner. Full article

This paper evaluates, for the first time, the effects of ethanol concentration on the dynamics of oral (immediate and prolonged) aroma release after wine consumption. To do this, the intraoral aroma release of 10 panelists was monitored at two sampling points (0 and 4 min) after they rinsed their mouths with three rosé wines with different ethanol content (0.5% v/v, 5% v/v and 10% v/v) that were aromatized with six fruity esters (ethyl butanoate, isoamyl acetate, ethyl pentanoate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate and ethyl decanoate). Overall, the results indicated that the extent of the effects of ethanol content on the oral aroma release were influenced by the subject, the ethanolconcentration and the type of aroma compound. This effect was also different in the immediate than in the prolonged aroma release. In the first in-mouth aroma monitoring, an increase in the ethanol content provoked a higher release of the more polar and volatile esters (ethyl butanoate, ethyl pentanoate), but a lower release for the more apolar and less volatile esters (ethyl octanoate, ethyl decanoate). Regarding the prolonged oral aroma release, an increase of ethanol content in wine increased the oral aroma release of the six esters, which might also increase the fruity aroma persistence in the wines. Future works with a higher number of individuals will be needed to understand the mechanisms behind this phenomenon. Full article