Human Bitter Taste Receptors Are Activated by Different Classes of Polyphenols

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2018

Authors

Susana Soares (Author) FCUP; Silva, MS (Author) Other; Garcia Estevez, I (Author) Other; Grossmann, P (Author) Other; Natercia F Bras (Author) FCUP; Brandao, E (Author) Other; Nuno Mateus (Author) FCUP; Victor de Freitas (Author) FCUP; Behrens, M (Author) Other; Meyerhof, W (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

Vol. 66

Pages: 8814-8823

ISSN: 0021-8561

Publisher: American Chemical Society

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 74 Citations

Scopus - 75 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00P-HEM

DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.8b03569

Abstract (EN): Polyphenols may contribute directly to plant-based foodstuffs flavor, in particular to astringency and bitterness. In this work, the bitterness of a small library of polyphenols from different classes [procyanidin dimers type B, ellagitannins (punicalagin, castalagin, and vescalagin) and phenolic acid ethyl esters (protocatechuic, ferulic, and vanillic acid ethyl esters] was studied by a cell-based assay. The bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) activated by these polyphenols and the half-maximum effective concentrations (EC50) of each agonist-TAS2Rs pair were determined. Computational methodologies were used to understand the polyphenol molecular region responsible for receptor activation and to get insights into the type of bonds established in the agonist-TAS2Rs pairs. The results show the combinatorial pattern of TAS2Rs activation. TAS2R5 seems to be the only receptor exhibiting a bias toward the activation by condensed tannins, while TAS2R7 seems more tuned for hydrolyzable (ellagi)tannins. Additionally, at the concentrations usually found for these compounds in foodstuffs, they can actively contribute to bitter taste, especially ellagitannins.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 10