New Molecular and Cell-based Approaches to assess Food Astringency and Bitterness

Project Information

BeTASTy

Grant agreement ID: 101040462

DOI

10.3030/101040462

EC signature date 23 February 2022

Start date 1 July 2022

End date 30 June 2027

Funded under

• European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

€ 1 499 791,00

EU contribution

€ 1 499 791,00

Coordinated by

REQUIMTE REDE DE QUIMICA E DE TECNOLOGIA ASSOCIACAO
Portugal

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BeTASTy (New Molecular and Cell-based Approaches to assess Food Astringency and Bitterness)

Reporting period: 2022-07-01 to 2024-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Taste properties are vital to human survival, nutrition, health, and well-being. Unpleasant taste properties, particularly astringency and bitterness, present significant challenges across various fields of research. Beyond their relevance in food science, nutrition, and crop improvement, understanding these taste properties is crucial for addressing human taste disorders and advancing drug discovery.
The BeTASTy project aims to transcend traditional food-oriented research by tackling the complex issues of astringency and bitterness through a multidisciplinary approach. This innovative project will provide a comprehensive understanding of the physical and chemical events that trigger the physiological and neural perception of astringency. By focusing on key oral components such as salivary proteins, epithelial cells, and mechanoreceptors, BeTASTy seeks to unravel the intricate processes underlying these sensations.
One of the project's key innovations is the development of an all-in-one model to explore how certain compounds can simultaneously evoke astringency and bitterness. Furthermore, BeTASTy will investigate individual sensory differences using pioneering techniques involving human organoids and electroencephalography.
The ultimate goal of BeTASTy is to create novel cell-free biosensors based on identified mechano- and bitter taste receptors, offering a significant improvement over existing and limited cell-based methods. This groundbreaking approach will bring together expertise from food chemistry, biochemistry, neuroscience, sensory analysis, and biotechnology, pushing the boundaries of current scientific knowledge on taste sensations.
Through its multidisciplinary methodology, BeTASTy envisions to achieve significant scientific breakthroughs in understanding the biochemical, neural, and perceptual aspects of taste, ultimately enabling the tailored modulation of astringency and bitterness.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The interaction between astringent polyphenol compounds, and more recently, non-polyphenol astringent compounds, with oral epithelial cells has been extensively documented by Soares’ group. They have recently published a groundbreaking study that establishes a connection between the interaction of in-house developed oral cell models with astringent compounds and the perception of astringency, including some of its various sub-qualities. This research has ignited a renewed interest in exploring the physico-chemical mechanisms underlying the adsorption of astringent compounds to oral cells. In this context, the work undertaken has focused on investigating these interactions at the level of oral cell membranes. Preliminary findings indicate that astringents may influence cell surface properties and the packing of membrane lipids, particularly in tongue-derived cells. Furthermore, significant changes in the regulation and expression of specific families of (membrane) proteins have also been observed.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The exploration of the physico-chemical mechanisms at the cellular membrane level further pushes the boundaries of existing knowledge of astringency. By investigating how astringent compounds affect cell surface properties and the packing of membrane lipids, particularly in tongue-derived cells, this research provides new insights into the molecular basis of astringency perception. For the first time there are findings indicating that astringents may influence cell surface properties and the packing of membrane lipids of oral cell-derived models. Additionally, the observed changes in the regulation and expression of specific families of (membrane) proteins highlight a previously underexplored aspect of how astringent compounds interact with oral cells and which pathways could be involved in astringency perception.