• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.531-536
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• 2022

Umami taste-yielding foods, such as, Joseonganjang, dried anchovies, dried shiitake, dried Konbu (kelp), and Yukjeot, are widely used in the Korean cuisine as soup base. While Umami taste enhancement related to Kokumi taste substances has been proposed in human sensory studies, the potential action of Kokumi taste substances has not been explored on calcium-sensing receptors (CaSR), here referred to as Kokumi taste receptors. In this study, we investigated the effect of Umami taste-yielding foods on Kokumi taste receptors using cells expressing human CaSR. We monitored the temporal changes in intracellular Ca²⁺ in HEK293T cells expressing CaSR in response to aqueous extract of Joseonganjang, dried anchovies, dried shiitake, dried Konbu, and Yukjeot. Kokumi substances tested-glutathione and γ-Glu-Val-Gly- evoked intracellular Ca²⁺ influx in a concentration-dependent manner. A similar increment of intracellular Ca²⁺ influx was induced by Joseonganjang, Yukjeot, and dried anchovies, but not by dried shiitake and dried Konbu. Only Joseonganjang- and Yukjeot-evoked intracellular Ca²⁺ influx was significantly reduced by NPS 2143, a CaSR-specific antagonist. These data indicated that some Umami substances/Umami-yielding materials could activate CaSR, but this property was not observed for all the Umami tasting substances.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.346-349
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• 2003

This study was conducted to investigate the changes in organoleptic characteristics by adding different amounts of red pepper powder, salt-fermented anchovy extracts to kimchi. The salt enhanced sourness and pungency up to 2% but suppressed sourness, pungency, sweetness and umami taste by salt of more than 2%. Red pepper powder proportionally enhanced sourness up to 3% but suppressed saltiness, sweetness and umami taste. Salt-fermented anchovy extracts enhanced saltiness and sweetness together with enhancement of umami taste, but suppressed pungency and sourness. As the result of one-way analysis of correlation with the above tastes of spices and kimchi, saltiness of NaCl had a significantly negative correlation with pungency, sourness, sweetness and umami taste, as -0.9857, -0.9878, -0.9847, -0.9076, respectively, and pungency of red pepper with sourness, sweetness, saltiness and umami taste, as -0.8353, -0.9316, -0.9020, -0.9901, respectively. This indicated that increase of pungency and saltiness of kimchi suppressed a overall taste of kimchi. In addition, umami taste had a significantly negative correlation with only pungency as -0.9823 and a significantly positive correlation with sweetness and saltiness, showing a different tendency with pungency and saltiness.

• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.11
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• pp.649-654
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• 2014

Neutrophils play an important role in the initiation of innate immunity against infection and injury. Although many different types of G-protein coupled receptors are functionally expressed in neutrophils, no reports have demonstrated functional expression of umami taste receptor in these cells. We observed that mouse neutrophils express the umami taste receptor T1R1/T1R3 through RNA sequencing and quantitative RT-PCR analysis. Stimulation of mouse neutrophils with L-alanine or L-serine, which are ligands for the umami taste receptor, elicited not only ERK or p38 MAPK phosphorylation but also chemotactic migration. Moreover, addition of L-alanine or L-serine markedly reduced the production of several cytokines including $TNF-{\alpha}$ induced by lipopoly-saccharide (LPS) through inhibition of $NF-{\kappa}B$ activity or STAT3 phosphorylation in neutrophils. Our findings demonstrate that neutrophils express the umami taste receptor, through which tastants stimulate neutrophils, resulting in chemotactic migration, and attenuation of LPS-induced inflammatory response.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.390-402
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• 2022

In this study we investigate physical and chemical characteristics of immature and mature skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) roes in fresh and dried forms. Fresh roes were studied for histological structure and also dried by three methods: hot air drying (HD), vacuum drying (VD) and freeze drying (FD). The obtained roe powders were analysed for proximate composition, color value, fatty acid composition, amino acid profile, equivalent umami concentration (EUC) and protein pattern. Unyolked oocytes were more common in immature roes, while fully yolked oocytes were more common in mature roes. All dried tuna roes contained high content of protein and lipid (69.31%-70.55% and 11.14%-16.02%, respectively). The powders obtained by FD provided the highest lightness value (L^*). The main fatty acid found in all roe powders was docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (23.49%-27.02%). Glutamic acid, leucine, and aspartic acid were the three most abundant amino acids found in the powders (13.58-14.61, 8.06-8.42, and 7.81-8.39 g/100 g of protein, respectively). The mature roe powder obtained from HD provided the highest EUC value (73.09 g monosodium glutamate/100 g of samples). The protein band at molecular weight of 97 kDa (vitelline) represented the major protein. Therefore, dried tuna roe could be a functional ingredient source of protein and lipid rich in DHA and it also has potential to be used as taste enhancer with umami compound.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.9
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• pp.1279-1284
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• 2016

To obtain enzyme hydrolyzed vegetable protein (EHVP) with a salty and umami taste, defatted soybean meal was treated with proteases such as Flavourzyme$^{(R)}$ (F), Neutrase$^{(R)}$ (N), Alcalase$^{(R)}$ (A), and Protamex$^{(R)}$ (P) in various reaction orders. The highest soluble solid content of EHVP was 5.60% in enzyme reaction order NAFP although there was no significant difference. Amino type nitrogen was highest in ANFP (102.76 mg%) and APNF (102.85 mg%). In the sensory descriptive analysis, salty taste was highest in PNFA (11.81), followed by NPAF (10.14), FPNA (10.00), APNF (9.80), NAFP (9.76), AFNP (9.57), APFN (9.52), and NPFA (9.50) with no significant difference among treatment. Umami taste was not significantly different among the various enzyme treatments. Bitter aftertaste was highest in AFPN (5.67) and lowest in FAPN (2.38), PNAF (2.62), and NAPF (2.48). In the principle component analysis, EHVPs of PNFA, NAFP, APFN, NPAF, FPNA, NPFA, and APNF showed a strong salty and umami taste. Therefore, the PNFA, NAFP, APFN, NPAF, FPNA, NPFA, and APNF are desirable methods for making EHVP with a salty and umami taste.

• Food Science and Industry
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.12-23
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• 2017

Gustation, initiated by the detection of taste molecules by specific receptors expressed in taste cells, plays an essential role in food selection and consequently in overall nutrition for humans. In the past decade, a remarkable amount of knowledge of taste perception in the neurology, molecular biology, and genetics has emerged, particularly in basic tastes- sweet, bitter, sour, salt and umami. Among them, sweet, bitter and umami are recognized via the specific G-protein coupled receptors. Salt and sour are primarily mediated by apically located ion channel-type receptors. Because excessive salt or sugar consumption leads to high rates of diet-associated diseases and it comes from eating prepared or processed foods, an understanding of the underlying mechanisms in salt and sweet perception is crucial in food industry. This review will focus on recent progress of the perception of salt and sweet taste to provide basic knowledge for reducing salt and sugar consumption.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.49-54
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• 2022

Taste is a basic sensation to get attracted toward nutritious foods or avoid possible harmful substances. The basic taste qualities in humans consist of sweet, bitter, umami, salty, and sour. Basically, sweet and umami tastes make food attractive, whereas bitter and sour tastes make it avoidable. Salty taste comprises basic salty and high salt taste. The basic salty taste is known as amiloride-sensitive salty taste, which is inhibited by amiloride, but the high salt taste is not sensitive to amiloride. Moreover, high salt taste can also cause avoidance behavior in human beings. Sodium, one of the most important cations in the body fluids of vertebrates, controls the volume of total body fluids and is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension. The concentration of sodium in body fluids must be under delicate control. A distinction between the salty taste and high salt taste would be a contributing mechanism to control the volume and/or osmolarity of body fluids.

• 축산식품과학과 산업
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.37-41
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• 2021

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.175-185
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• 2022

This study investigated the amino acid and nucleotide-related compound composition and taste characteristics of cultured muscle tissue (CMT) obtained by culturing satellite cells isolated from chicken and cattle and compared them to those of traditional meat (TM). The content of all amino acids except valine and tyrosine was significantly different between CMT and TM (p<0.05). The amount of glutamic acid was not significantly different between CMT and TM in cattle, but the glutamic acid in chicken CMT was lower than that of TM (p<0.05). Among the nucleotide-related compounds, only the content of inosine-5'-monophosphate (IMP) was significant, and the amount of IMP in CMT derived from chicken and cattle was significantly lower than that of TM (p<0.05). There were significant differences in the taste characteristics assessed by an electronic tongue system, and the umami, bitterness, and sourness values of CMT were significantly lower than those of TM from both chicken and cattle (p<0.05). The results of the present study suggest that it is necessary to develop a satellite cell culture method that could increase the umami and bitterness intensity of CMT and adjust the composition of the growth medium to produce cultured meat with a taste similar to that of TM.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.9-14
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• 2013

Objectives : Cnidii Fructus is prescribed as the fruit of Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson or Torilis japonica (Houtt.) DC. in Korea pharmacopoeia. Although there are differences in the composition of useful components, two species have been used without distinction. In order to discriminate them, DNA sequencing and taste pattern analysis were used in this study. Methods : Primers ITS 1 and ITS 4 were used to amplify the intergenic transcribed spacer(ITS) region of nuclear ribosomal DNA from seven T. japonica and six C. monnieri samples. Taste pattern of samples were measured by using taste-sensing system SA402B equipped with five foodstuff sensors(CT0, C00, AAE, CA0, and AE1). The five initial taste(sourness, bitterness, astringency, umami, and saltiness) and three aftertaste(aftertaste of bitterness, astringency, and umami) of two species were compared. Results : According to the results of ITS region sequence analysis, two species showed 94 base pairs differences. The similarity of two sequences was 85%. From the taste pattern analysis, sourness, bitterness, aftertaste of bitterness(aftertaste-B), and umami showed a different pattern. Especially, bitterness and aftertaste-B of C. monnieri were significantly higher than T. japonica. In addition, two species were shown to have two markedly different clustering by these two flavors. Conclusion : T. japonica and C. monnieri were effectively discriminated using DNA sequencing and taste pattern analysis. These methods can be used to identify the origin of traditional medicine in order to maintain therapeutic efficacy.