Scientists have learned about the taste-enhancing properties of peptides from mushrooms.

Scientists have found a way to make the salty taste more pronounced without increasing the amount of sodium in the product. To do this, they studied short chains of amino acids obtained from an edible mushroom. In the future, the discovery may help to create products with a reduced salt content without significant loss of taste. How natural salinity enhancers work is described in the Izvestia article.

Mushrooms will help enhance the salty taste without additional sodium.

The study is published in the journal npj Science of Food. Scientists studied the mushroom Hypsizygus marmoreus, known as marbled mushroom, and found peptides in its proteins that can enhance the perception of salinity.

The search for such compounds is associated with the need to reduce the salt content in food, while maintaining its habitual taste properties. Excess sodium in the diet is associated with high blood pressure and other health risks.

One of the options for replacing salt is products based on potassium chloride, but their regular use may be undesirable for people who need to control their potassium levels. Peptides obtained from food raw materials are considered as another possible way to increase salinity and further reduce the amount of sodium.

Scientists have assessed the role of peptides for the body

How Scientists Found Taste-enhancing Peptides

The researchers crushed the mushrooms, mixed the powder with water, and treated the resulting mass with six commercial enzymes. Then, using mass spectrometry, the scientists discovered more than 6,000 peptides and applied computer methods, including artificial intelligence tools, to select promising compounds based on their perceived safety and stability.

After pre-selection, the researchers chemically synthesized five candidates and tested their effect on the perception of salinity. People participated in the assessment, as well as an electronic language, a device that analyzes the chemical signals of solutions and allows an objective comparison of the intensity of taste.

The researchers tracked how quickly the salinity sensation occurred and how long it persisted for 105 seconds. The use of electronic language helped to complement the participants' assessments and avoid the limitations associated with taste buds fatigue.

One peptide increased the feeling of salinity by more than 70%

The most pronounced effect was shown by the natural peptide ASHGEGF. In solution, it increased the perceived intensity of the salty taste by 70.59%. Two other compounds, LDDGF and GDDWT, increased it by 49.02% and 47.06%, respectively.

The duration of the effect ranged from 75 to 105 seconds, depending on the peptide used. At the same time, the researchers evaluated the taste enhancement in saline solution: the results do not mean that adding such a compound will automatically reduce the sodium content in any finished product by an appropriate percentage.

To understand the mechanism of action, the scientists conducted computer simulations of the interaction of peptides with the TMC4 receptor, a chloride channel that is involved in the perception of salty taste. Modeling has shown that the compounds can bind to the site of the receptor and form stable complexes with it. It is assumed that the interaction involving amino acid residues enhances the taste signal. However, this mechanism requires further verification.

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The development will have to be tested in real products.

The authors of the study consider the peptides obtained as the basis for creating new seasonings and flavoring additives based on marble open. If the compounds remain effective in complex food mixtures, they will potentially reduce the salt content without making the products noticeably less salty. This is especially important for products in which taste plays a significant role in the perception of quality.

The next step is to add peptides to real low-sodium foods and test how much salt they can replace. Scientists will also have to find out whether the compounds change other taste characteristics, how stable they are during storage and processing, and whether they are suitable for everyday use.

So far, the study shows a promising way to enhance salinity, but does not confirm that the development is ready for mass use in the food industry.