Development of safety inhibitor which selectively masks receptor sites for bitter substances

在之前的研究中，我们发现磷脂酸和黑球蛋白组成的脂蛋白有选择性地抑制苦味。脂蛋白与味觉细胞的微绒毛膜结合，掩盖苦味物质的受体位点。对于苦味抑制剂的实际应用，不携带蛋白质的抑制剂在稳定性和成本方面是可取的。因此，我们检测了各种磷脂的抑苦活性，发现磷脂酸、磷脂酰肌醇和磷脂酰丝氨酸具有抑苦活性。其中磷脂酸的活性最高。我们还考察了高含量磷脂酸卵磷脂组分对苦味的影响，发现该组分具有足够的抑苦活性。该部分抑制了各种药物和蛋白质水解物的苦味。用少量卵磷脂部分包衣药物片剂，可充分抑制药物的苦味。此外，该组分还能抑制多酚的苦味。巧克力中含有丰富的多酚。对多酚含量较高的巧克力，采用卵磷脂部分来抑制其苦味。

In a previous study, we found that lipoprotein composed of phosphatidic acid and blactoglobulin selectively inhibits bitterness. The lipoprotein binds to micovilli membranes of taste cells and masks receptor sites for bitter substances. For practical use of bitterness inhibitor, an inhibitor carrying no protein is desirable in points of stability and cost. Hence we examined bitterness-inhibitory activity of various phospholipids and found that phosphatidic acid, phosphatidyl inositole and phosphatidyl serine have activity to suppress bitterness. Among these phospholipids, phosphatidic acid had the highest activity.We also examined the effects of lecithin fraction containing phosphatidic acid in high content on bitterness and found that the fraction has sufficient activity to suppress bitterness. The fraction suppressed bitterness of various drugs and hydrolyzates of proteins. Coating of tablets of drugs with a small amount of the lecithin fraction sufficiently suppressed bitterness of the drugs. In addition, the fraction suppressed bitterness of polyphenol. Polyphenol is abundantly contained in chocolate. The lecithin fraction has been used to suppress bitterness of chocolate which contains polyphenol in high content.