Contribution of glycine betaine and arginine to the taste of seafoods.

甘氨酸甜菜碱(GB)和游离精氨酸(Arg)通常在软体动物和贝类的肌肉中含量丰富，本研究旨在揭示GB和Arg对这些海鲜味道的贡献。结果如下：1.GB的阈值浓度为0.25-0.5%。2.与文献所描述的GB具有普通甜度不同，0.25-1.5%的GB溶液被所有的专家认为是甜的，带有苦味的。3.对模拟海参肌肉提取物的合成提取物的添加试验表明，GB对甜味的贡献并不是那么重要，目前人们对GB的理解并不那么重要。4.扇贝内收肌的添加试验表明，GB对甜味的贡献并不重要它并不苦，尽管它含有非常高的精氨酸，这是一种苦味氨基酸，据报道其阈值浓度为50毫克/100毫升。在0.3%的精氨酸溶液中添加扇贝提取物成分的实验表明，谷氨酸、5‘-腺苷和氯化钠对降低精氨酸的苦味是有效的，其中以氯化钠的效果最好。添加精氨酸的实验证实了氯化钠的有效性。5.日本全虾肌肉中也出现了类似的对精氨酸的掩盖作用，其精氨酸浓度(1512 mg/100g)约是扇贝的5倍，是报道的精氨酸阈值浓度(50 mg/100ml)的30倍。

Glycine betaine (GB) and free arginine (Arg) are usually abundant in the muscles of mollusks and shellfish.The present study was performed to disclosed the contribution of GB and Arg to the taste of these seafoods. Results obtained are summarized as follows.1.The threshold concentration of GB was found to be 0.25-0.5%.2.Differing from literatures describing that GB has a plain sweetness, 0.25-1.5% GB solutions were perceived by all panelists as sweet with bitterness.3.The addition test to a synthetic extract simulating the muscle extract of whelk, Neptunea polycostata, with contained a large amount of GB (1555mg/100g) , showed that the contribution of GB to the sweet taste is not so important as thus far understood.4.The adductor muscle of scallop, Patinopecten yessoensis, is not bitter despite its having a very high content of Arg, a bitter amino acid, whose threshold concentration has been reported to be 50mg/100ml. The addition test of extractive components of scallop to 0.3% Arg solution revealed that glutamic acid, adenosine 5'-monophosphate and NaCl were effective for reducing bitterness of Arg, with NaCl being the most effective in this regard.The effectiveness of NaCl was confirmed by the supplemental addition test of Arg to NaCl solution.5.The occurrence of a similar masking effect on the bitterness of Arg was confirmed in the muscle of Japanese spiny lobster, Panulirus japonicus, whose Arg concentration was about 5 times higher than that of scallop (1512mg/100g) and 30 times higher than the reported threshold concentration of Arg (50mg/100ml) .