Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anita Devineni, Julia U. Deere, Bei Sun, Richard Axel
Summary: The study reveals significant differences in the response dynamics of different types of taste sensory neurons in Drosophila, with bitter neurons showing strong responses to both stimulus onset and offset. These responses impact synaptic plasticity and neural circuit function through a cell-intrinsic mechanism.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Misaki Ishida, Haruna Ide, Keishiro Arima, Zeyu Zhao, Toshiro Matsui, Kiyoshi Toko
Summary: A taste sensor using lipid/polymer membranes is a method to objectively evaluate taste. However, it cannot measure non-charged bitter substances. In this study, the interaction between hydroxybenzoic acid (HBA) and caffeine was explored using H-1 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR).
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marilyn C. Cornelis, Rob M. van Dam
Summary: Genetic variants are more closely associated with individual preferences for coffee taste than with bitter taste perception, contradicting previous hypotheses. Taste preferences and the physiological effects of caffeine are intertwined in a way that is challenging to differentiate, potentially representing conditioned taste preferences.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Dorin Dragos, Madalina Petran, Teodora-Cristiana Gradinaru, Marilena Gilca
Summary: This study investigated the potential correlations between the taste of herbal compounds and their anti-inflammatory activity, and found that phytochemical taste may be a better predictor of anti-inflammatory activity than the chemical class.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Kai Buechner, Jana Haagen, Ashtri Sastrosubroto, Roland Kerpes, Jessica Freiherr, Thomas Becker
Summary: Consumer health concerns and regulatory policies have led to an increased demand for alternatives to sugar-sweetened beverages. Artificial sweeteners can reduce the calorie content, but they may also introduce metallic or bitter off-flavors. This study explores the impact of menthol on sweetness perception in an aqueous solution, finding that it has no sensory effect but enhances the physiological response to cold perception and masks the bitterness of a sweetener.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xiangyu Hao, Hengwu Jiao, Dahu Zou, Qiyang Li, Xiangqun Yuan, Wenbo Liao, Peihua Jiang, Huabin Zhao
Summary: Previous studies have found substantial variation in the number of Tas2r taste receptor genes in vertebrates, with some frog species carrying the largest number. A possible explanation for this is the dietary shift between tadpoles and adults during frog metamorphosis, which may require distinct sets of Tas2r genes. Our study found that amphibians in general possess more Tas2r genes and that around one fifth of the Tas2r genes in the American bullfrog are differentially expressed between tadpoles and adults, suggesting a role of these genes in the ontogenetic dietary shift of frogs.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Ana R. Costa, Ana C. Duarte, Ana R. Costa-Brito, Isabel Goncalves, Cecilia R. A. Santos
Summary: Pharmacoresistance of cancer cells to chemotherapy drugs is a major challenge. ABC transporters are a leading cause of drug resistance as they transport drugs out of the cells. TAS2Rs, regulated by bitter taste receptors, have been found in various cancer types and organs, and their activation has been linked to multiple biological actions. Bitter compounds, such as flavonoids and alkaloids, have shown potential as adjuvants in cancer therapy. This review discusses the therapeutic role of TAS2Rs and bitter compounds in overcoming chemoresistance in different types of cancer.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Mathieu Schwartz, Helene Brignot, Gilles Feron, Thomas Hummel, Yunmeng Zhu, Dorothee von Koskull, Jean-Marie Heydel, Federic Lirussi, Francis Canon, Fabrice Neiers
Summary: The molecules that cause taste sensation interact with taste receptors in the taste buds. Enzymes involved in detoxification processes exist in saliva as well as in type II cells where taste receptors, including bitter taste receptors, are located. These enzymes are known to have interactions with various molecules. The study shows that salivary glutathione transferases (GSTA1 and GSTP1) can metabolize bitter molecules, and their levels in the saliva of people with taste disorders are significantly lower than those in the control group.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Molly J. Higgins, Jacob T. Gipple, John E. Hayes
Summary: Analysis of time-intensity relationships for ten bitterants revealed two distinct groups, characterized by differences in onset and decay rates. Group 1 (including caffeine, quinine, L-phenylalanine, L-tryptophan, urea) showed faster onset and decay, while Group 2 (naringin, SOA, hop extracts) exhibited slower onset, increased intensity post-swallowing, and slower decay. Further research is needed to understand the causes of these temporal differences and their potential impact on liking and consumption of bitter food products.
FOOD QUALITY AND PREFERENCE
(2021)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Gabriella Morini, Marcel Winnig, Timo Vennegeerts, Gigliola Borgonovo, Angela Bassoli
Summary: Vanillin, the major compound in vanilla, activates three human bitter taste receptors TAS2R14, TAS2R20, and TAS2R39, leading to the bitterness sensation associated with vanilla. This discovery may lead to improving the sensory profile of vanilla in food preparation and open up possibilities for its use in sensory nutrition and pharmaceutical applications.
FRONTIERS IN NUTRITION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jun Young Hwang, Kyung Ho Kim, Sung Eun Seo, Youngju Nam, Sanghee Jwa, Inwoo Yang, Tai Hyun Park, Oh Seok Kwon, Seung Hwan Lee
Summary: A bioelectronic tongue system is developed to characterize the agonism and antagonism of bitter taste receptors through the combination of human bitter taste receptors with nanodiscs and graphene field-effect transistors. The system can sensitively detect bitter agonists and evaluate antagonism-based bitterness masking. This is of great importance in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Sofie Zehentner, Agnes T. Reiner, Christoph Grimm, Veronika Somoza
Summary: Bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) are functionally expressed in various extra-oral cells and their role in cancer is not yet clear, but studies suggest downregulated gene expression in cancerous cells and potential anti-cancer effects through their activation.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Russ Best, Seana Crosby, Nicolas Berger, Kerin McDonald
Summary: The study compared the effects of mouth swills containing carbohydrate, menthol, or both on cycling time trial performance in the heat, finding small differences between menthol and carbohydrate, with carbohydrate slightly improving performance. Subjective measures were significantly affected by distance but showed no significant differences between solutions.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Eriko Sugimori, Yayoi Kawasaki
Summary: People are sensitive to bitter taste because it is often associated with poisons. Previous research has shown that different sensory systems can influence the perception of taste, and visual cues such as food color can affect taste expectation and perception. However, it remains unknown whether the relationship between visual information and taste depends on the degree of bitterness.
FOOD QUALITY AND PREFERENCE
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Haiyan Yu, Qiaowei Li, Jingru Xie, Chen Chen, Xinman Lou, Lianzhong Ai, Huaixiang Tian
Summary: This study identified the important compounds responsible for the bitterness of Shaoxing Huangjiu and constructed a taste recombination model to study the perception mechanism of bitterness. The results of this study provide guidance for bitterness control and taste improvement of Shaoxing Huangjiu.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Sport Sciences
Christopher J. Stevens, Russ Best
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Russ Best, Regan Standing
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Russ Best, Regan Standing
JOURNAL OF EQUINE VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2019)
Article
Sport Sciences
Russ Best, Regan Standing
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS IN SPORT
(2019)
Article
Sport Sciences
M. J. Barwood, O. R. Gibson, D. J. Gillis, O. Jeffries, N. B. Morris, J. Pearce, M. L. Ross, C. Stevens, K. Rinaldi, S. N. Kounalakis, F. Riera, T. Mundel, M. Waldron, R. Best
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nicolas Berger, Daniel Cooley, Michael Graham, Claire Harrison, Russ Best
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2020)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Russ Best
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Russ Best, Regan Standing
Article
Sport Sciences
Russ Best, Benjamin Barwick, Alice Best, Nicolas Berger, Claire Harrison, Matthew Wright, Julie Sparrow
Article
Food Science & Technology
Russ Best, Lain R. Spears, Philip Hurst, Nicolas J. A. Berger
Review
Sport Sciences
Russ Best, Stephen Payton, Iain Spears, Florence Riera, Nicolas Berger
Article
Sport Sciences
Russ Best, Dani Temm, Holly Hucker, Kerin McDonald