Abstract
An influential finding of recent taste research was the discovery of the genes for gustatory receptors. This has enabled the development of cell-based receptor assays similar to those employed by pharmaceutical companies for drug discovery since many years. These receptor assays are being used in high throughput tests in order to identify taste-modulating substances that could increase the treat of food. Current activities focus on sweet enhancers, glutamate replacers or umami enhancing molecules as well as bitter blockers. The advantages of the new methodology are clear. Testing is fast, the number of testable substances huge, the effort for expensive sensory testing minimized, and the target compounds are receptor-specific with low risk of being associated with off-tastes. The first compounds found by means of taste receptor assays have been marketed; more will follow in the future.
| Translated title of the contribution | Receptor assays for the discovery of taste modulators |
|---|---|
| Original language | German |
| Pages (from-to) | 30-36 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Aktuelle Ernahrungsmedizin |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2013 |
| Externally published | Yes |