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The Cyclic Diarylheptanoid Asadanin as the Main Contributor to the Bitter Off-Taste in Hazelnuts (Corylus avellana L.) Barbara Singldinger, Andreas Dunkel, and Thomas Hofmann J. Agric. Food Chem., Just Accepted Manuscript • DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.7b00026 • Publication Date (Web): 07 Feb 2017 Downloaded from http://pubs.acs.org on February 11, 2017
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Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry is published by the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street N.W., Washington, DC 20036 Published by American Chemical Society. Copyright © American Chemical Society. However, no copyright claim is made to original U.S. Government works, or works produced by employees of any Commonwealth realm Crown government in the course of their duties.
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Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
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The Cyclic Diarylheptanoid Asadanin As the Main
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Contributor to the Bitter Off-Taste in Hazelnuts (Corylus
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avellana L.)
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Barbara Singldinger†, Andreas Dunkel†,‡ and Thomas Hofmann†,‡*
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†
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Chair of Food Chemistry and Molecular and Sensory Science, Technische
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Universität München, Lise-Meitner-Str. 34, D-85354 Freising, Germany, and ‡
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Bavarian Center for Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 4, D-
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85354 Freising, Germany.
11 12 13 14 15
*
16
PHONE
+49-8161/71-2902
17
FAX
+49-8161/71-2949
18
E-MAIL
[email protected] To whom correspondence should be addressed
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ABSTRACT
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Activity-guided fractionation and taste dilution analysis (TDA), followed by LC-
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MS/MS, LC-TOF-MS and 1D/2D-NMR spectroscopy led to the identification of the
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cyclic diarylheptanoid asadanin, 1, exhibiting a human bitter recognition threshold of
27
13 µmol/kg, as the major inducer of the sporadic bitter off-taste of hazelnut kernels
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(Corylus avellana L.). Sensory analysis of hazelnut samples from two origins
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(Ordu/2013 and Akçakoca/2014) and from Cimiciato-infected hazelnut kernels,
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followed by LC-MS/MS quantitation of 1 and calculation of dose-over-threshold
31
(DoT)-factors showed established evidence for the Cimiciato infection as the major
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inductor of asadanin biosynthesis in hazelnut kernels and, in consequence, as the
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reason for bitter off-taste development.
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KEYWORDS: taste, bitter, hazelnuts, Corylus avellana L., diarylheptanoids,
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asadanin
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Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
INTRODUCTION
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Due to their appealing aroma and attractive taste profile, roasted hazelnuts (Corylus
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avellana L.) are used worldwide as a key ingredient for the manufacturing of
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confectionary, chocolate, and snack products. With a volume of about 580.000 metric
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tons per year (~85% of world market), Turkey is by far the largest producer of
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hazelnuts, followed by Italy with an annual production volume of about 90.000 metric
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tons. Plant growing and harvesting of hazelnuts differ largely between both countries
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of origin.1 While hazelnuts in Turkey are harvested manually by more than 320.000
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farmers and dried under the sun without moisture control, harvest in Italy is
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performed mechanically by a small number of highly professionalized farming
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operations, followed by highly controlled drying regimes to deliver rather
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homogeneous quality of hazelnuts.2,3
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Hazelnuts, in particular when originating from Turkey, have been reported to
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develop a sporadic bitter off-taste upon storage that is maintained throughout
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roasting to exhibit a flavor defect in final products, thus resulting in consumer
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complaints and causing a problem for the hazelnut producers as well as for the
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manufacturing industries.4,5 The reason for the sporadic off-taste development has
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not yet been identified and may be further complicated by the high biological
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heterogeneity of hazelnuts cultivated.6,7 Moreover, it has been reported that the
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attack of raw hazelnuts by a bug, named “Cimiciato” (cimici nocciolaie, Gonocerus
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acuteangulatus), induces tissue necrosis and a decrease in flavor quality
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accompanied by an increase in bitter taste.8,9 The molecules evoking the off-flavor in
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stored raw hazelnuts have, however, not yet been elucidated.
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Great advances have been achieved in the past 20 years to identify the key
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volatiles creating the typical aroma of foods.10 Bioresponse-guided identification of ACS Paragon Plus Environment
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most intense odorants by means of GC-olfactometry, their quantitation by means of a
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stable isotope dilution analysis, followed by recombination and sensory experiments
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revealed 3-methyl-4-heptanone, 5-methyl-(E)-2-hepten-4-one, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, 2-
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propionyl-1-pyrroline, 2,3-diethyl-5-methylpyrazine, 3,5-dimethyl-2-ethylpyrazine, 3,6-
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dimethyl-2-ethylpyrazine and 2-furfurylthiol as the key odorants creating the typical
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aroma profile of roasted hazelnuts.11 In comparison, the knowledge on taste-active
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non-volatiles in hazelnuts is rather scarce and, in particular, the components evoking
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the sporadic bitter off-taste of hazelnuts are not yet known.
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Preliminary studies on non-volatile taste compounds in hazelnuts revealed
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sucrose with amounts of 1.8 to 4.4 g/100 g, followed by stachyose und raffinose with
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amounts of up to 0.4 g/100 g as sweet-tasting compounds in hazelnuts. With total
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amount of 0.96-2.72 g/100 g, citric acid, malic acid, oxalic acid, lactic acid, succinic
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acid and acetic acid were identified as sour tasting organic acids in hazelnuts.12,13
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The levels of condensed polyphenols were reported to range between 3.99 and
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40.56 mg/g (catechin equivalents) and are decreased by more than 90% with
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removal of the testa to give about 0.3 to 3.0 mg/g upon hazelnut processing. As
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catechin oligomers show rather high bitter taste thresholds (~0.3 mg/g water),14 a
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contribution of polyphenols to the bitter taste still needs to be clarified.
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As bitter tasting dipeptides and oligopeptides are known to be produced upon
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enzymatic hydrolysis of animal proteins like milk proteins and plant-derived proteins
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like soy proteins, the generation of candidate bitter peptides has been studied during
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proteolytic hydrolysis of powdered hazelnuts.15 However, the development of a bitter
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taste upon proteolysis could not be observed,15 thus excluding bitter peptides as key
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molecules responsible for the off-taste of stored hazelnuts.
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While the storage-induced bitter taste development in lipid-rich plant seeds like
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poppy seeds has been shown to be caused by the lipolytic release of free fatty acids ACS Paragon Plus Environment
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as well as their autoxidation to give hydroxy fatty acids,16 storage experiments with
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hazelnuts only revealed marginal changes in amounts and composition of free fatty
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acids.17 Comparative storage of raw hazelnuts under oxygen, carbon dioxide, or
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nitrogen atmosphere did not reveal any significant role of oxygen in the alteration of
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the taste profile.5 Taking all these literature data into consideration, it may be
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concluded that the key molecules inducing the bitter taste defect in hazelnuts have
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still not been identified.
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In recent years, application of a taste-guided fractionation approach enabled
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the identification of the key taste and off-taste compounds in carbohydrate/amino
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acid mixtures,18 hops,19 carrots,20,21 coffee,22 asparagus,23 black tea infusions,24
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cocoa nibs,25 and spinach.26 The aim of the present investigation was, therefore, to
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identify the key molecules contributing to the bitter off-taste of hazelnuts, to
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determine their human recognition thresholds, and to evaluate its sensory
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contribution by means of concentration/activity considerations.
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MATERIALS AND METHODS
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Chemicals.
The
following
compounds
were
obtained
commercially:
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acetonitrile, methanol (J.T. Baker, Deventer, Netherlands), ethyl acetate, n-pentane
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AnalaR NORMAPUR (BDH Prolabo, Briare, France), formic acid, (Merck, Darmstadt,
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Germany); Solvents used for HPLC-MS/MS analysis were of LC-MS grade
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(Honeywell, Seelze, Germany), n-pentane and ethyl acetate were distilled before
114
using, all other solvents were of HPLC grade (Merck). Deuterated solvents were
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obtained from Sigma Aldrich (St. Louis, MO). L-Tyrosine for qNMR was purchased
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from Sigma-Aldrich (Steinheim, Germany). Water for chromatography was purified by ACS Paragon Plus Environment
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the use of a Milli-Q water advantage A 10 water system (Millipore, Molsheim,
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France). Dry-stored raw hazelnut kernels from two origins in Turkey (Ordu, 2013, and
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Akçakoca, 2014) and cimiciato-infected hazelnut kernels, characterized and sorted
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by a visual inspection by a trained expert panel, were provided by the German food
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industry.
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Sequential Solvent Extraction. An aliquot of powdered hazelnuts (300 g),
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obtained by grinding deep-frozen kernels using a GM 300 type mill (Retsch, Haan,
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Germany) at 4000 U/min for 40 s, was extracted three times with methanol/water
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(70:30, v/v; 1 L) by stirring for 30 min at room temperature, the extracts were
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combined, methanol removed in vacuum at 39 °C, and the aqueous solution was
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then sequentially extracted with n-pentane (4 x 0.5 L), followed by ethyl acetate (3 x
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0.8 L). The corresponding extracts were combined and separated from solvent in
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vacuum at 39 °C, followed by lyophilization to obtain the pentane-solubles (fraction I),
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the ethyl acetate extractables (fraction II), and the water solubles (fraction III),
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respectively (Table 1). The residual hazelnut material was freeze-dried twice to result
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in the insoluble fraction IV, which did not show any taste activity. Aqueous solutions
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of fractions I-III were evaluated by means of a comparative taste profile analysis.
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Separation of Fraction II by Means of Medium Pressure Liquid
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Chromatography (MPLC). An aliquot (350 mg) of hazelnut fraction II was dissolved
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in acetonitrile/water (12:88, v/v; 3.5 mL) and separated on a 150 x 40 mm i.d
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polypropylene cartridge filled with 25-40 µm LiChroprep RP-18 material (Merck).
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MPLC was performed at a flow rate of 40 mL/min to give 12 fractions, namely II-1 to
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II-12. Using 0.1% formic acid in water (v/v) as solvent A and acetonitrile as solvent B,
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MPLC was performed with the effluent monitored using a Sedex LT-ELSD detector
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Model 80 (Sedere, Alfortville, France) at Gain 6 and the following gradient: 3 min
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100% A, within 2 min to 95% A, held 1 min at 95% A isocratically, within 2 min to ACS Paragon Plus Environment
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90% A, increased in 8 min to 85% A, held 5 min 85% A isocratically, increased in
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7 min to 80% A, within 10 min to 75% A, held 3 min 75% A isocratically, increased in
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6 min to 70% A, maintained 5 min at 70% A isocratically, within 8 min to 100% B,
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held 10 min at 100% B isocratically, decreased in 7 min at 0% B, and finally held
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10 min at 0% B. Each of the 12 fractions, collected by means of a fraction collector,
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was separated from solvent (vacuum, 39 °C), the residues were dissolved in water,
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freeze-dried twice, and then kept at -20 °C until further used.
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Identification of the Bitter Key Compound in Fraction II-8. Fraction II-8,
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evaluated with the highest bitter impact, was dissolved in acetonitrile/water (12:88,
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v/v; 25.5 mg/mL) and, after membrane filtration, separated by preparative RP-HPLC
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on a 250 × 21.2 mm i.d, 5 µm, Luna Phenyl-Hexyl column (Phenomenex,
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Aschaffenburg, Germany). Using a flow rate of 20 mL/min with 0.1% formic acid in
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water (v/v; solvent A) and acetonitrile (solvent B), chromatography was performed
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with the effluent monitored at 254 nm: starting with a mixture 25% B and 75% A, held
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at 25% B for 3 min, increasing the acetonitrile content to 30% B over 5 min, held
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isocratically with 30% B for 9 min, decrease in 8 min to 25% B and finally held at 25%
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B for 5 min. The effluent was separated to give 9 subfractions, namely II-8/1 to II-8/9.
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The individually collected fractions were freed from solvent in vacuum at 39 °C,
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freeze-dried twice, and the residues obtained were used for the taste dilution analysis
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(TDA) as well as for structural analysis. On the basis of UV/Vis, LC-MS/MS, TOF-MS
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and 1D/2D-NMR, the key compound in the most bitter fraction II-8-7 was identified as
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asadanin, 1, that has been isolated earlier from the heartwood of Ostrya japonica27
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and, subsequently, from hazelnut leaves.28
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Asadanin, 1, Figure 3: LC-MS (ESI-): m/z 343,13 [M-H]-; LC-MS/MS (DP = -
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35 V): m/z 343.0, 283.0, 270.2, 211.0, 193.0; LC-MS-TOF: m/z 343.1217
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(measured), m/z 343.1182 (calcd. for [C19H19O6]-); 1H NMR (500 MHz; DMSO-d6) δ ACS Paragon Plus Environment
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2.72-2.82 [m, 2H, H-C(7)], 2.72-3.01 [m, 2H, H-C(13)], 2.87-3.01 [d, 1H, J=6.5 Hz, H-
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C(11β)], 3.37-3.45 [m, 1H, H-C(11α)], 3.65 [dd, 1H, J=10.15, 6.85 Hz, H-C(8)], 4.06
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[dd, 1H, J=10.12, 3.93 Hz, H-C(9)], 4.46 [m, 1H, H-C(12)], 6.27 [d, 1H, J=1.65 Hz, H-
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C(18)], 6.51 [d, 1H, J=1.65 Hz, H-C(19)], 6.77 [d, 1H, J=8.14 Hz, H-C(4)], 6.81 [d,
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1H, J=8.18 Hz, H-C(16)], 6.99 [dd, 1H, J=8.35, 2.06 Hz, H-C(5)], 7.06 [dd, 1H,
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J=8.35, 2.24 Hz, H-C(15)];
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36,2 [C-11], 66.7 [C-12], 67.9 [C-8], 77.2 [C-9], 115,8 [C-4], 115,9 [C-16], 125.0 [C-1],
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125,8 [C-2], 128.3 [C-15], 129.3 [C-5], 129.5 [C-6], 129.6 [C-14], 133.7 [C-18, C-19],
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150.7 [C-17], 151.4 [C-3], 214.4 [C-10].
13
C NMR (126 MHz; DMSO-d6) δ 23.6 [C-13], 35.9 [C-7],
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Sensory Analyses. Sensory panel training and sample pretreatment. 17
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panelists (9 female, 8 male; 23-40 years in age), who had given informed consent to
180
participate in the present sensory tests, were trained weekly for at least two years in
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order to became familiar with the sensory methodologies used and to evaluate
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aqueous reference solutions of taste compounds.23-25 Sensory analyses were
183
performed in a sensory panel room at 22-25 °C while the panelist wore nose clips to
184
prevent cross-model interactions with olfactory cues. Prior to sensory analysis,
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isolated fractions and compounds were confirmed to be effectively free of solvent
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traces.23
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Taste Profile Analysis. Aliquots of the lyophilized hazelnut fractions I-III were
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dissolved in their “natural” concentrations (~1.5 g powdered hazelnuts per mL) in
189
bottled water. The sensory panel was asked to evaluate these solutions and to rate
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the intensity of the taste qualities “bitter”, “astringent”, and “sweet” on a scale from 0
191
(not detectable) to 5 (strongly detectable).
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Taste Dilution Analysis (TDA). Aliquots of MPLC fractions and HPLC
193
subfractions obtained from fraction II-8 were dissolved in “natural” ratios in bottled
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by the sensory panel in order of ascending concentration, and the taste dilution (TD)
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factor for bitterness was determined.18 The TD-factors for each MPLC- and HPLC-
197
fraction, evaluated in two independent sessions each were averaged.
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Determination of Human Taste Recognition Thresholds. The threshold
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concentration, at which the bitter taste quality of the compound was just detectable,
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was determined in bottled water using a two-alternative forced choice test (2-AFC)
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with increasing levels of the purified substance 1 and followed the procedure as
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mentioned. The values between individuals and between the independent sessions
203
differed by not more than plus or minus one dilution step, meaning that an average
204
threshold value of 13.0 µmol/L for 1 represents a range from 7.5-26.0 µmol/L.
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Sensory Confirmation of Quantitative Data. Methanol/water extracts (70:30, v/v)
206
were prepared from three hazelnut samples: (A) Cimiciato-infected (Ordu), 2013, (B)
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Ordu, 2013, and (C) Akçakoca, 2014. After separating the solvent in vacuum at 39°C,
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the extracts obtained from these three samples were dissolved in water in their
209
“natural” concentration and sensorially evaluated for bitterness on a 5-point scale.
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Quantitation of Asadanin 1. External Calibration Curve and Linear Range. A
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stock solution of purified asadanin 1 was prepared in acetonitrile/water (20:80; v/v)
212
and its exact concentration (0.72 mg/mL) was verified by means of quantitative NMR
213
(qNMR).28 This stock solution was diluted 1:20; 1:50; 1:100, 1:200, 1:500, 1:1000,
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1:2000 and 1:5000 with acetonitrile/water (20:80; v/v), the dilutions were analyzed by
215
means of UHPLC-MS/MS using the MRM transition Q1/Q3 of m/z 343.1/211.1 as
216
quantifier and optimized instrument settings (DP = - 35 V, EP = - 10 V, CE = - 38 V,
217
CXP = - 25 V). An external calibration curve (y = 1E+09x+14787, R² = 0.9998) was
218
calculated by plotting the peak area ratios of the analyte against its given
219
concentration.
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Solvent Extraction for Quantitation. Hazelnut samples (300 g) were frozen in
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liquid nitrogen, ground by using a GM 300 type mill (Retsch GmbH) at 4000 U/min for
222
40 s, extracted with methanol/water (70:30, v/v; 3 x 1L), separated from solvent in
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vacuum at 39 °C, and lyophilization twice. The extracts were taken up in
224
acetonitrile/water (30:70, v/v; 1 mL/10 mg), membrane filtered and aliquots (1 µL)
225
were analyzed by means of UHPLC-MS/MS on a 100 x 2.1 mm, 100 Å, Kinetex
226
1.7µm Luna Phenyl-Hexyl column (Phenomenex, Aschaffenburg, Deutschland) at a
227
flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. Using 1% formic acid in water (v/v; solvent A) and 1% formic
228
acid in acetonitrile (v/v; solvent B), the following gradient was applied for UHPLC:
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start with 5% B, held at 5% for 1 min, increase in 2 min to 30% B, in 9 min to 70% B,
230
increase in 1 min to 100% B, held 0.5 min isocratically at 100%, decrease in 1 min to
231
5% B, held 5 min at 5% B. Using the MRM transition Q1/Q3 of m/z 343.1/211.1 as
232
quantifier, asadanin was quantitated in hazelnut samples by means of external
233
calibration.
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Medium Pressure Liquid Chromatography (MPLC). For separation of
235
fraction II, an MPLC apparatus (Büchi, Flawil, Swiss) consisting of a binary pump
236
module C-605, a control unit C-620, a fraction collector C-660, and a Sedex LT-
237
ELSD detector Model 80 (Sedere, Alfortville, France) was used. Chromatography
238
(40 mL/min) was done on a 150x40 mm polypropylene cartridge filled with 25-40 µm
239
LiChroprep RP18 material (Merck).
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High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The HPLC apparatus
241
(Jasco, Gross-Umstadt, Germany) used comprised a binary high pressure HPLC
242
pump system PU-2080 Plus, a AS-2055 Plus autosampler, a DG-2080-53 degasser,
243
a MD-2010 Plus type diode array detector, and a Rh 7725i type Rheodyne injection
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valve (Rheodyne, Bensheim, Germany). Analytical separations (1 mL/min) were
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(Phenomenex). Data acquisition was done by means of Chrompass Chromatography
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Data System, Version 1.9 (Jasco). Preparative separation (20.0 mL/min) of fraction
248
II-8 was performed on a preparative 250 x 21.2 mm i.d., 5 µm, Luna Phenyl-Hexyl
249
column (Phenomenex).
250
Liquid Chromatography Mass spectrometry (LC-MS). A QTRAP 6500 mass
251
spectrometer (Sciex, Darmstadt, Germany), controlled by the Analyst 1.6.2 software
252
(Sciex), was used and operated in the full-scan mode (ion spray voltage: -4500 V):
253
curtain gas (35 V), temperature (450 °C), gas1 (55 V), gas2 (65 V), collision activated
254
dissociation (-2 V) and entrance potential (-10 V). The samples were separated by
255
means of a Nexera UHPLC (Shimadzu Europa GmbH, Duisburg, Germany)
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consisting of two LC pump systems 30AD, a DGU-20A5 degasser, a SIL-30AC
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autosampler, a CTO-30A column oven and a CBM-20A controller, and equipped with
258
a 100 x 2.1 mm, 100 Å, Kinetex 1.7 µm Luna Phenyl-Hexyl column (Phenomenex). A
259
gradient of 1% formic acid in water (v/v; solvent A) and 1% formic acid in acetonitrile
260
(v/v; solvent B) was used (0.4 mL/min).
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UPLC/Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (UPLC/TOF-MS). An aliquot (1-
262
5 µL) of the analyte in acetonitrile/water (20:80, v/v; 1mL) was injected into an
263
Acquity UPLC core system (Waters) equipped with a 2.1 x 150 mm, 1.7 µm, BEH
264
C18 column (45 °C) and connected to a SYNAPT G2 HDMS spectrometer (Waters
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UK Ltd., Manchester, UK) operating with the instrument settings reported earlier.23
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Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR). 1D- and 2D-NMR
267
spectra were recorded on a 500 MHz Avance III spectrometer (Bruker, Rheinstetten,
268
Germany) equipped with a cryo-TCI Probe (300 K). DMSO-d6 (600 µL) was used as
269
solvent and chemical shifts are reported in parts per million relative to the DMSO-d6
270
solvent signals:
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processing was performed by using Topspin NMR software vers. 3.2 (Bruker) and
1
H-NMR: 2.50 ppm and 3.33 ppm;
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MestReNova 10.0 (Mestrelab Research, Santiago de Compostela, Spain). For
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quantitative NMR spectroscopy (qNMR), the spectrometer was calibrated by using
274
the ERETIC 2 tool using the PULCON methodology as reported earlier.24 The
275
isolated signal at 6.27 ppm (d, J=1.65, 1H) was used for absolute quantitation of
276
asadanin, 1, using a defined sample of L-tyrosine as the external standard and its
277
specific resonance signal at 7.10 ppm (m, 2H) for analyses.29
278 279
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
280 281
Aimed at identifying the key molecule evoking the bitter taste of raw hazelnut kernels,
282
freshly ground hazelnuts were extracted with methanol/water and, after removing the
283
methanol in vacuum, the aqueous extract was extracted with n-pentane (fraction I),
284
followed by ethyl acetate (fraction II) and the remaining aqueous fraction III,
285
respectively, followed by freeze-drying. To locate the key bitter compounds, the
286
fractions I-III were dissolved water in their “natural” concentrations and then used for
287
taste profile analysis. While fraction I exhibited only weak taste activity, high scores
288
for bitterness (4.0) were reported in fraction II (Table 1). In comparison, the aqueous
289
fraction III was evaluated mainly as astringent and sweet with intensity scores of 3.8
290
and 3.2. As fraction II showed the most intense bitter taste, the following fractionation
291
was focused on the identification of key bitter molecules in fraction II.
292
Activity-Guided Discovery of the Key Bitter Compound in Hazelnut
293
Fraction II. Aimed at locating the key bitter compounds, fraction II was further
294
separated by means of MPLC-ELSD using RP-18 material as the stationary phase
295
(Figure 1). The effluent was collected in twelve fractions, namely II-1 to II-12, which
296
were freed from solvent, taken up in equal amounts of water, then, sequentially
297
diluted 1:1 with water and, finally, used for taste dilution analysis (TDA) in order of ACS Paragon Plus Environment
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ascending concentrations. Among the 12 fractions, bitter taste was detectable in
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fractions II-5 to II-10 with fraction II-8 evaluated with the highest TD-factor of 8
300
(Figure 1).
301
To identify the key molecule causing the bitter taste of fraction II-8, this fraction
302
was separated by means of preparative RP18-HPLC with UV detection at 254 nm
303
(Figure 2). A total of nine subfractions were collected individually, namely II-8-1 to II-
304
8-9, the solvent was separated in vacuum, each subfraction was dissolved in
305
“natural” concentration ratios in water and then used for TDA (Figure 2). Among the
306
nine subfractions, fraction II-8-7 was judged with the highest TD-factor of 8, followed
307
by subfractions II-8-6 and II-8-8 (TD-factor: 4).
308
As LC-MS/MS analysis revealed more quantitative, rather than qualitative
309
differences in these bitter subfractions II-8-6 to II-8-8, the major component 1 eluting
310
in the most intense bitter tasting fraction II-8-7 was purified by re-chromatography
311
and then analyzed by LC-MS/MS, UHPLC-TOF-MS, and 1D/2D-NMR experiments.
312
LC-MS (ESI-) analysis of 1 revealed m/z 343.1 as the pseudo molecular ion ([M-H]-),
313
thus indicating a molecular mass of 344.1 Da. This was confirmed by UHPLC-TOF-
314
MS as well as 1H and
315
C19H20O6.
316
The
13
13
C NMR spectroscopy showing an empirical formula of
C and 1H NMR spectra of bitter compound 1 demonstrated a total of 19
317
carbon atoms resonating between 20 and 210 ppm and 20 proton signals detected
318
between 2.5 and 7.5 ppm. Heteronuclear single-quantum correlation spectroscopy
319
(HSQC), optimized for 1JC,H couplings, helped to visualize direct connectivity of
320
carbons and protons and revealed three methylene groups, nine methine groups,
321
and seven quaternary C-atoms. Six protons resonating between 7.1 and 6.81 ppm
322
were correlated to the carbons of two connected phenyl ring systems. This was
323
confirmed using heteronuclear multiple-bond correlation spectroscopy (HMBC) ACS Paragon Plus Environment
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optimized for 2JC,H and 3JC,H couplings, e.g. couplings between C(2) at 125.8 ppm and
325
H-C(18) and H-C(4) resonating at 6.27 and 6.77 ppm, respectively, as well as
326
couplings between C(1) at 125.0 ppm and H-C(16) and H-C(19) with chemical shifts
327
of 6.81 and 6.51 ppm could be detected (Figure 3A). In addition, a C7-alkyl chain
328
connecting the biphenyl ring was assigned by the heteronuclear couplings between
329
carbon atom C(7) and the ring proton H-C(5) as well as carbon atom C(13) and the
330
ring proton H-C(15), thus indicating the presence of a cyclic diarylheptanoid structure
331
for 1 (Figure 3B). Finally, the
332
keto group within the C7-alkyl chain as demonstrated by the heteronuclear coupling
333
between the carbonyl carbon C(10) and the protons H-C(8) at 3.65 ppm, H-C(11α) at
334
3.45-3.37 ppm, H-C(11β) at 3.01-2.87 ppm, and the hydroxy proton HO-C(9) at
335
5.27 ppm (Figure 3C).
336
13
C-signal detected at 214.4 ppm was deduced as a
Taking all the analytical data into account, the key bitter compound in fraction
337
II-8-7
could
be
unequivocally
identified
as
3,8,9,12,17-pentahydroxy-
338
(8CI,9CI),tricyclo[12.3.1.12,6]nonadeca-1(18),2,4,6(19),14,16-hexaen-10-one,
339
(Figure 4). Although this phytochemical has been earlier isolated from the wood of
340
Ostrya japonica and named asdanin,27 and subsequently from leaves of Corylus
341
avellana L, ‘Tonda di Giffoni’,28 the occurrence of compound 1 in hazelnut kernels as
342
well as its bitter taste activity has not previously been reported in literature.
1
343
Bitter Taste Activity of Asadanin 1. Prior to the determination of a human
344
recognition taste threshold, the purity of asadanin 1 as well as the concentration of a
345
stock solution were checked by HPLC-MS and quantitative 1H NMR spectroscopy.29
346
A 2-alternative forced-choice test revealed a long-lasting bitter taste induced by the
347
cyclic diarylheptanoid 1 with a recognition threshold of 13 µmol/L.
348
Quantitation of Asadanin and Dose-Activity Considerations in Hazelnut
349
Kernels. To enable quantitation of asadanin 1 in hazelnuts by means of LC-MS/MS, ACS Paragon Plus Environment
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the MS/MS parameters were tuned to optimize the generation of specific product ions
351
through fragmentation of the pseudo molecular ion of 1 by infusing the pure
352
reference compound with a syringe pump into the mass spectrometer operating in
353
the ESI- mode. By means of LC-MS/MS with external calibration, asadanin 1 was
354
then quantitated in methanol/water extracts prepared from hazelnut samples from
355
two origins (Ordu/2013 and Akçakoca/2014) and from Cimiciato-infected hazelnut
356
kernels (Table 2). The quantitative data showed very high levels of 44.8 µmol/kg for
357
asadanin in Cimiciato-infected hazelnuts, whereas the non-infected hazelnuts from
358
Akçakoca and Ordu contained 9 to 32-times lower amounts of 5.0 and 1.4 µmol/kg,
359
respectively.
360
To correlate these quantitative data with sensory impact, extracts from all
361
three hazelnut samples were sensorially evaluated in their bitter taste intensity. By far
362
the highest bitter taste score of 4.0 was reported for the Cimiciato-infected hazelnuts
363
(Table 2). In comparison, the hazelnut samples from Akçakoca and Ordu were both
364
judged with a low bitterness score of 2.0 and 1.0, respectively, thus being well in line
365
with the lower levels of asadanin in these samples (Table 2). In order to assess the
366
bitter taste activity of asadanin 1 in the different hazelnut samples, dose over
367
threshold (DoT)-factors were determined as ratio of the concentration to the taste
368
threshold of the respective tastant.30–35 The DoT-factor for asadanin in Cimiciato-
369
infected hazelnuts was determined to be 3.5, thus indicating that the concentration of
370
1 exceeded its bitter taste threshold by a factor of 3.5 (Table 2).
371
On the basis of these data, asadanin, 1, may be concluded as the key inducer
372
of the sporadic bitter off-taste in hazelnuts. Quantitative analysis of 1 shows first
373
evidence for the Cimiciato infection as the major inductor of asadanin biosynthesis in
374
hazelnut kernels. The development of high-throughput quantitation methods and
375
analysis of asadanin generation in hazelnut kernels artificially infected with the ACS Paragon Plus Environment
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Cimiciato bug are currently in progress to further understand the mechanisms leading
377
to the induction of bitter taste development.
378 379
Acknowledgment
380
This IGF Project of the FEI is supported via AiF within the programme for promoting
381
the Industrial Collective Research (IGF) of the German Ministry of Economic Affairs
382
and Energy (BMWi), based on a resolution of the German Parliament. We are also
383
grateful to Prof. Lieberei, University of Hamburg, as well as the industry partners of
384
this project for providing us with authentic samples.
385
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LITERATURE CITED
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(1) International Nut and Dried Food Foundation (INC). Global Statistical Review
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2014-2015. Hazelnuts. 2014, pp. 26–29.
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pp. 7–11.
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(3) Demir, I. The firm size, farm size, and transaction costs: the case of hazelnut
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farms in Turkey, J. Agric. Econ. 2016, 47, 81–90.
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(4) Özdemir, M.; Devres, O. Turkish hazelnuts: Properties and effect of
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microbiological and chemical changes on quality, Food Rev. Int. 1999, 15, 309–333.
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perspective for future biotechnology, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2014, 53, 7124–7143.
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(18) Frank, O.; Ottinger, H.; Hofmann, T. Characterization of an intense bitter-tasting
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1H,4H-quinolizinium-7-olate by application of the taste dilution analysis, a novel
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related compounds, Ringyo Shikenjo Kenkyu Hokoku. 1968, 209, 77–168.
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reference materials and natural isolates by means of quantitative
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spectroscopy, J. Agric. Food Chem. 2014, 62, 2506–2515.
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Pizza, C.; Bifulco, G.; Piacente, S. Giffonins J-P, highly hydroxylated cyclized
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ellagitannins in American (Quercus alba L.) and European oak wood (Quercus robur
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H NMR
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(33) Hillmann, H.; Mattes, J.; Brockhoff, A.; Dunkel, A.; Meyerhof, W.; Hofmann, T.
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acetoxymethyl-2-furaldehyde as a novel sweet taste modulator, J. Agric. Food Chem.
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(34) Sonntag, T.; Kunert, C.; Dunkel, A.; Hofmann, T. Sensory-guided identification of
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(35) Meyer, S.; Dunkel, A.; Hofmann, T. Sensomics-assisted elucidation of the
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FIGURE LEGEND
495 Figure 1.
(A) RP18-MPLC separation of fraction II isolated from bitter tasting hazelnut kernels and (B) taste dilution (TD)-factors of MPLC fractions II-1 to II-12.
Figure 2.
(A) RP-HPLC chromatogram of MPLC fraction II-8 and (B) taste dilution (TD)-factor of subfractions II-8-1 to II-8-9.
Figure 3.
Excerpts of the HMBC spectrum (500 MHz, DMSO-d6) of purified asadanin 1 showing (A) 2J and 3J coupling of C(1) and C(2), (B) 3J coupling of C(7) and C(13), and (C) 2J and 3J coupling of the carbonyl atom C(10).
Figure 4.
Chemical structure of the cyclic diarylheptanoid asadanin 1.
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Table 1. Taste Profile Analysis of Fractions I-III isolated from Hazelnut Kernels Showing a Bitter Off-Taste. Fractiona
Intensityb perceived for bitterness
astringency
sweetness
I
0.8
0.7
0.6
II
4.0
2.1
0.3
III
1.4
3.8
3.2
a
The n-pentane soluble fraction I, the ethyl acetate soluble fraction II, and the
aqueous fraction III were dissolved in water in their “natural” concentrations and then used for taste profile analysis. bA trained sensory panel was asked to rate the intensity of the given taste descriptors on a scale from 0 (not detectable) to 5 (intensely detectable).
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Table 2. Concentration, Dose-over-Threshold (DoT)-factor and Sensory Bitterness Evaluation of Different Hazelnut Samples. Conc. [µmol/kg] of
DoT-Factor of
Bitter taste
asadanin 1a
asadanin 1b
intensityc
Ordu (2013)
1.4
0.1
1.0
Akçakoca (2014)
5.0
0.4
2.0
Cimiciato (2013)
44.8
3.5
4.0
Sample
a
Concentrations were determined by LC-MS/MS and external calibration and are given as the means of triplicates. bDose over threshold (DoT)-factors were determined as ratio of the concentration to the taste threshold (13.0 µmol/kg) of 1. c A trained sensory panel was asked to rate the bitterness intensity of an aqueous solution of the methanol/water extractables prepared from hazelnut samples on a scale from 0 (not detectable) to 5 (intensely detectable).
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Figure 1 (Singldinger et al.)
A
B
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Figure 2(Singldinger et al.)
A
B
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Figure 3 (Singldinger et al.)
A
B
C
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Figure 4 (Singldinger et al.)
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Table of Content Graphic
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TOC graphic 240x157mm (115 x 115 DPI)
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