Unraveling the impact of in-mouth molecular interactions on sensory perception

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Taste and health are two of the most important factors affecting consumer liking of products. Historically, there has been a trade-off between these two factors, with consumers willing to forgo taste for health. This is no longer the case. Key to understanding drivers of liking are studies into interactions between the product and the individual. This program will study in-mouth molecular interactions as they relate to sensory properties of healthy, whole grain products. Whole grains contain polyphenols, phytochemicals known to have antioxidant potential. However, these polyphenols also contribute negatively to the taste of products by imparting the sensation of astringency. Astringency occurs due to a delubrication in the mouth as the polyphenols react with salivary proteins. Although this reaction has been extensively researched in wines, there is less known about protein-polyphenol interactions during consumption of other polyphenol rich foods such as whole grains. We will conduct sensory studies to measure the sensation of astringency using a new sensory evaluation approach known as temporal dominance of sensations. With this technique we will record the predominant sensory properties occurring during consumption of aqueous solutions of low molecular weight polyphenols. These sensory results will be compared to instrumental testing of the protein-polyphenol interactions to determine the mechanism of astringency formation in low molecular weight polyphenols. Lastly, we will study the interaction between polyphenols and basic taste stimuli under various thermal processing conditions. Through this research we will expand on the currently existing model of the sensation of astringency and establish the foundation for future research into processes and ingredient interactions affecting sensory responses to foods.