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Specialty Chemistry Forums => Biochemistry and Chemical Biology Forum => Topic started by: RosaCoaster on October 10, 2013, 09:07:41 AM

Title: Breaking down the primary tastes to their basic components
Post by: RosaCoaster on October 10, 2013, 09:07:41 AM

Hello, I've just joined the forums (so hope this is the right area for my question) I'm currently doing research on primary tastes and trying to determine what the defining component of each of them is. i.e. what makes salt salty, sugar sweet etc.

I understand that some, but not all monosaccharides are sweet for example, so, in the ones that are sweet what makes them sweet? I'm trying to understand this for all primary tastes. Breaking each of them down to the simplest form possible to understand why we perceive them as we do.

Any help would be massively appreciated!

kind regards
Sean

Title: Re: Breaking down the primary tastes to their basic components
Post by: RosaCoaster on October 10, 2013, 10:04:05 AM

Ok, after some reading, let me pose another question, for fun.

Umami (savouriness) can be represented by the amino acid, glutamate, for which a specific taste receptor has been identified. Do other amino acids represent the four original primary tastes and if so, are we now looking at 22 "amino tastes"?

Title: Re: Breaking down the primary tastes to their basic components
Post by: Archer on October 10, 2013, 10:44:04 AM

Quote from: RosaCoaster on October 10, 2013, 10:04:05 AM

Ok, after some reading, let me pose another question, for fun.

Umami (savouriness) can be represented by the amino acid, glutamate, for which a specific taste receptor has been identified. Do other amino acids represent the four original primary tastes and if so, are we now looking at 22 "amino tastes"?

Unlikely, you best bet is to try and understant the taste receptors and how these work.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taste_bud will be a good place to start.

Title: Re: Breaking down the primary tastes to their basic components
Post by: RosaCoaster on October 10, 2013, 10:52:14 AM

Just read that actually, but thank you!

Title: Re: Breaking down the primary tastes to their basic components
Post by: Babcock_Hall on October 10, 2013, 11:04:55 AM

I would cross-post this question at science forums, but here are a few random observations.  One, an unusual dipeptide (aspartame), also tastes sweet.  L-glucose (the mirror image enantiomer of naturally occurring D-glucose), tastes sweet.  Often, when one enantiomer binds to a receptor, its mirror image does not or at least binds differently.

Title: Re: Breaking down the primary tastes to their basic components
Post by: Archer on October 10, 2013, 12:58:10 PM

Also remember that there are 22 natural amino acids, maybe some other R-groups might fire the other taste receptors.

Biturex is the most potent bitter substance known, however the discovery was accidental, the practice of tasting a new compound once it has been synthesised has stopped for safety reasons so new "taste" molecules are less likely to be discovered by accident.

Title: Re: Breaking down the primary tastes to their basic components
Post by: RosaCoaster on October 10, 2013, 01:25:17 PM

Interesting, thanks for the responses guys.