Beyond Umami: Scientists Discover a Sixth Basic Taste
upstart writes:
Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda first proposed umami as a basic taste in the early 1900s, in addition to the recognized tastes of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. It took nearly eighty years for the scientific community to officially acknowledge his proposition.
Now, scientists led by researchers at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences have evidence of a sixth basic taste.
In a study recently published in the journal Nature Communications, USC Dornsife neuroscientistEmily Limanand her team found that the tongue responds to ammonium chloride through the same protein receptor that signals sour taste.
"If you live in a Scandinavian country, you will be familiar with and may like this taste," says Liman, professor of biological sciences. In some northern European countries,salt licoricehas been a popular candy at least since the early 20th century. The treat counts among its ingredients salmiak salt, or ammonium chloride.
Scientists have for decades recognized that the tongue responds strongly to ammonium chloride. However, despite extensive research, the specific tongue receptors that react to it remained elusive.
[...] Hydrogen ions are the key component of acids, and as foodies everywhere know, the tongue senses acid as sour. That's why lemonade (rich in citric and ascorbic acids), vinegar (acetic acid), and other acidic foods impart a zing of tartness when they hit the tongue. Hydrogen ions from these acidic substances move into taste receptor cells through the OTOP1 channel.
Because ammonium chloride can affect the concentration of acid - that is, hydrogen ions - within a cell, the team wondered if it could somehow trigger OTOP1.
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