AUTHOR=Morini Gabriella , Winnig Marcel , Vennegeerts Timo , Borgonovo Gigliola , Bassoli Angela TITLE=Vanillin Activates Human Bitter Taste Receptors TAS2R14, TAS2R20, and TAS2R39 JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition VOLUME=8 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.683627 DOI=10.3389/fnut.2021.683627 ISSN=2296-861X ABSTRACT=

Vanilla is widely used in food preparation worldwide for its sensory properties, mainly related to its fragrance, being vanillin the major compound present in the processed vanilla. Vanillin is also known to elicit bitterness as a secondary sensory sensation, but the molecular mechanism of its bitterness has never been reported. Assay buffers of vanillin were tested in vitro on all known 25 human bitter taste receptors TAS2Rs. Three receptors, TAS2R14, TAS2R20, and TAS2R39, were activated, showing that these receptors are mediating the bitterness of vanillin. The result could be useful to improve the overall sensory profile of this broadly used food ingredient, but even more could represent the starting point for further studies to investigate the potential of vanillin in sensory nutrition and other pharmaceutical applications.