Sensory Threshold Studies of Picrocrocin,the Major Bitter Compound of Saffron

This study is part of a wider project on the bitter taste of saffron and its preparations. A deeper knowledge on the taste perception of picrocrocin is necessary in order to develop products that satisfy consumer senses and provide them with adequate amounts of saffron major constituents, also appreciated for bioactivity. A systematic approach on the bitterness of picrocrocin, the major responsible compound, was conducted. A panel was trained specifically for the determination of taste detection and recognition thresholds of picrocrocin, which were found to be 5.34 and 7.26 mg/L, respectively, using the Ascending Forced Choice of Limits methodology. The threshold values were examined in water in absence and presence of other saffron constituents and ethanol and were found to decrease when served hot (61 ± 4 °C). Bitterness was enhanced in 40% (v/v) aqueous ethanol. In both aqueous and ethanol extracts, the presence of saffron volatiles improved bitterness perception. The usefulness of the study was tested in the case of commercial saffron based infusions.     

Bitter off‐taste in stored cold‐pressed linseed oil obtained from different varieties

Freshly pressed linseed oil shows a delicate nutty flavor. However, after only 1 day of storage, a bitter off‐taste develops. It is caused mainly by the formation of a cyclic octa‐peptide named cyclolinopeptide E (CLE) containing the oxidized amino acid methionine. A simple and fast determination by solid‐phase extraction and high‐performance liquid chromatography with UV detection has been developed in order to measure the formation of this cyclic peptide during storage in correlation with the increasing bitter off‐taste of the oil, which was determined by a sensory panel. The development of this bitter off‐taste was analyzed in several oils prepared from linseed of a single variety from seeds obtained during a growing test. Highest bitterness was perceived in oil from the variety Eurodor, corresponding to CLE contents of 925 mg/kg, and lowest bitterness was perceived in oil from the variety Baladin, corresponding to a CLE content of 485 mg/kg. In some varieties, additional bitter compounds might be present in significant amounts.     

对原水中藻类及嗅味的去除

本文主要介绍了给水系统中藻类产生嗅味的种类,及藻类与嗅味的去除和控制方法。     

浅谈生活陶艺的审美意蕴

生活陶艺以功能性与艺术性的双重特色存在于现当代社会并成为最贴切人们生活的一种艺术形式。本文从历史与审美的角度出发,分析了生活陶艺设计的本质与理念,阐述了生活陶艺的审美特征及其审美的内在意蕴。     

汾酒大曲上霉四法

上霉的多少决定汾酒大曲成曲时间的长短,直接影响汾酒的口感香型。     

Characterization of intracellular & extracellular algae organic matters (AOM) of Microcystic aeruginosa and formation of AOM-associated disinfection byproducts and odor & taste compounds

Algae organic matters (AOM), including intracellular organic matters (IOM) and extracellular organic matters (EOM), are causing numerous water quality issues, among which formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) and odor & taste (O&T) compounds are of particular concern. In this study, physiochemical properties of IOM and EOM of Microcystic aeruginosa under an exponential growth phase (2.01 × 10¹¹/L) were comprehensively characterized. Moreover, the yields of DBPs during AOM disinfection and O&T-causing compounds were quantified. Hydrophilic organic matters accounted for 86% and 63% of DOC in IOM and EOM, respectively. Molecular weight (MW) fractions of IOM in <1 kDa, 40-800 kDa, and >800 kDa were 27%, 42%, and 31% of DOC, respectively, while EOM primarily contained 1-100 kDa molecules. Besides, a low SUVA (0.84 L/mg m) and the specific fluorescence spectra suggested that AOM (especially IOM) was principally comprised of protein-like substances, instead of humic-like matters. The formation potentials of chloroform, chloroacetic acid, and nitrosodimethylamine were 21.46, 68.29 and 0.0096 μg/mg C for IOM, and 32.44, 54.58 and 0.0189 μg/mg C for EOM, respectively. Furthermore, the dominant O&T compound produced from EOM and IOM were 2-MIB (68.75 ng/mg C) and β-cyclocitral (367.59 ng/mg C), respectively. Of note, dimethyltrisulfide became the prevailing O & T compound following anaerobic cultivation.     

米饭物性与食味形成机理研究进展

随着生活水平的提高,人们越来越重视大米食味品质。大米的蒸煮是影响米饭物性等食味品质的重要环节。较为全面地阐述了大米加水、浸泡、蒸煮、焖制和冷却与静置等工艺条件对米饭物性的影响,并讨论了米饭物性与大米直链淀粉、蛋白质、脂类含量的关系,指出食味形成机理是大米淀粉结构、蛋白质与脂类相互结合的分子构象共同作用的结果。     

What can cognitive psychology and sensory evaluation learn from each other?

Two questions are addressed in this paper: What can cognitive psychology bring to sensory evaluation? And what can cognitive psychology learn from sensory evaluation? In the first part, I will argue that one important contribution from psychology to sensory evaluation is to interpret flavor as a cognitively unified system made of three anatomically separated systems (smell, taste, and the trigeminal system). In the second part, I will argue that the applied field of sensory evaluation stresses the importance of using ecologically valid, naturalistic stimuli. Sensory evaluation also provides results that challenge accepted interpretations in psychology, especially in the field of evaluation of expertise.     

基于广泛靶向代谢组学的不同产地红茶代谢产物比较分析

为探究红茶代谢产物的产地差异,本实验采用感官审评方法及超高效液相色谱串联质谱（UPLC-MS/MS）的广泛靶向代谢组测定方法,对福建省福安市和尤溪县产红茶中的代谢产物进行比较分析。结果表明:福安红茶以“醇和”的滋味特征为主,尤溪红茶以“甘醇”的滋味特征为主。利用代谢组学方法在两地的红茶中鉴定出黄酮、酚酸类、脂质、有机酸、氨基酸及其衍生物等共937种代谢物,通过主成分分析（PCA）和正交偏最小二乘判别分析（OPLS-DA）可以显著区分不同产地红茶,并鉴定出410种具有显著差异的代谢物。尤溪红茶中有291种差异代谢物的相对含量高于福安红茶,其中紫云英苷、表儿茶素（EC）、L-谷氨酰胺、L-天冬氨酸、L-赖氨酸、L-色氨酸、L-谷氨酸、绿原酸、苯乙胺和牡荆素-2'-O-鼠李糖苷等差异代谢产物对于两地红茶的不同滋味品质形成可能具有重要贡献。代谢通路分析发现,两地红茶的氨基酸和黄酮类物质代谢水平具有显著差异,可能是形成两地红茶滋味品质差异的原因。研究为茶叶产地鉴别提供理论依据。