Umami taste evaluation based on a novel mouse taste receptor cell-based biosensor.

Area of Science:

• Biomimetic sensors
• Biosensor technology
• Taste receptor cell research

Background:

• Umami taste perception is complex and not fully understood.
• Existing methods for evaluating umami compounds are limited.
• There is a need for advanced sensory evaluation tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a self-assembled biosensor for detecting umami substances.
• To utilize matured taste receptor cells (TRCs) as the recognition element.
• To enable rapid and sensitive evaluation of umami characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Isolation and culture of taste stem cells to obtain TRCs.
• Fabrication of a biosensor using TRCs on a gold nanoparticle-modified glassy carbon electrode.
• Optimization of TRC concentration and incubation time for biosensor performance.

Main Results:

• The TRCs-based biosensor successfully detected L-monosodium glutamate (MSG) and other umami substances.
• A linear relationship was observed between response signals and MSG concentration (10^-9 - 10^-5 M).
• Optimized parameters included 10^6 cells/mL TRC concentration and 12-hour incubation time.

Conclusions:

• The developed biosensor provides a novel, rapid, and sensitive method for umami detection.
• This technology offers insights into taste signal transduction mechanisms.
• The biosensor shows potential for applications in intelligent perception systems.