2. Academic Validation
  3. Activation of bitter taste receptors by saponins and alkaloids identified in faba beans (Vicia faba L. minor)

Activation of bitter taste receptors by saponins and alkaloids identified in faba beans (Vicia faba L. minor)

  • Food Chem. 2023 Nov 15:426:136548. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.136548.
Adeline Karolkowski 1,  Christine Belloir 2,  Géraldine Lucchi 3,  Christophe Martin 4,  Emilie Bouzidi 5,  Loïc Levavasseur 6,  Christian Salles 7,  Loïc Briand 8
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Bourgogne, F-21000 Dijon, France; Groupe Soufflet-Invivo, 10400 Nogent-sur-Seine, France. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 2 Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Bourgogne, F-21000 Dijon, France. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 3 Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Bourgogne, F-21000 Dijon, France; INRAE, PROBE Research Infrastructure, ChemoSens Facility, F-21000 Dijon, France. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 4 Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Bourgogne, F-21000 Dijon, France; INRAE, PROBE Research Infrastructure, ChemoSens Facility, F-21000 Dijon, France. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 5 Vivien Paille (Groupe Avril), 59300 Valenciennes, France. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 6 Groupe Soufflet-Invivo, 10400 Nogent-sur-Seine, France. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 7 Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Bourgogne, F-21000 Dijon, France. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 8 Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Bourgogne, F-21000 Dijon, France. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 37302309 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.136548
Abstract

Despite their interests, faba beans are characterised by bitterness but little is known about its compounds that activate the 25 human bitter receptors (TAS2Rs). This study aimed to determine the bitter molecules in faba beans, especially saponins and Alkaloids. These molecules were quantified by UHPLC-HRMS in flour, starch and protein fractions of 3 faba bean cultivars. The fractions from the low-alkaloid cultivar and the protein fractions exhibited higher saponin content. Vicine and convicine were highly correlated with bitter perception. The bitterness of soyasaponin βb and Alkaloids was studied using a cellular approach. Soyasaponin βb activated 11 TAS2Rs, including TAS2R42 whereas vicine activated only TAS2R16. The high vicine content should explain the faba bean bitterness considering that concentration of soyasaponin βb was low. This research provides a better understanding of the bitter molecules in faba beans. Selection of low-alkaloid ingredients or alkaloid removal treatments could improve the faba bean flavour.

Keywords

Alkaloids; Bitterness; Convicine, PubChem CID: 88000; DDMP soyasaponin, PubChem CID: 74376401; Faba beans; HPLC–MS; Off-flavours; Pulses; Saponins; Soyasaponin βb, PubChem CID: 122097; TAS2R; Vicine, PubChem CID: 135413566.

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