Interactions between wine phenolic compounds and human saliva in astringency perception
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Published on: August 23, 2024
Ignacio García-Estévez1, Alba María Ramos-Pineda1, María Teresa Escribano-Bailón1
1Grupo de Investigación en Polifenoles, Departament of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno s/n. E37007, Salamanca, Spain. escriban@usal.es.
Abstract:
Astringency is a complex perceptual phenomenon involving several sensations that are perceived simultaneously. The mechanism leading to these sensations has been thoroughly and controversially discussed in the literature and it is still not well understood since there are many contributing factors. Although we are still far from elucidating the mechanisms whereby astringency develops, the interaction between phenolic compounds and proteins (from saliva, oral mucosa or cells) seems to be most important. This review summarizes the recent trends in the protein-phenol interaction, focusing on the effect of the structure of the phenolic compound on the interaction with salivary proteins and on methodologies based on these interactions to determine astringency.
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