New research approach: Exploring the mouthfeel of food with a microscope

 A team led by Melanie Köhler and Veronika Somoza from the Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology has presented a new research approach in the journal Nature Food. The perspectives article focuses on different ways to study the mouthfeel of food using atomic force microscopy to better understand the biophysical mechanisms that contribute to taste sensations in a broader sense. New findings in this area could drive the development of health-promoting products that contain less salt, fat, sugar and calories but still have a convincing mouthfeel.

The mouthfeel of a food plays a crucial role in its acceptance. For example, many people prefer the creamy consistency of quark and yogurt. Apples, on the other hand, should be juicy and crunchy and bread crusts crispy. This diversity shows that the optimal mouthfeel is highly dependent heavily on the type of food and is not uniformly defined.

Researching complex interactions

In addition, the interplay between the constituents, the texture and the temperature of food and various sensor molecules and cell types in the mouth is extremely complex. Junior research group leader Melanie Köhler says: "Mechanoreceptors in particular, which react to pressure or stretching, have been under-researched so far with regard to the optimal mouthfeel and their contribution to the flavor of a food."

Veronika Somoza, Director of the Leibniz Institute in Freising, adds: "In our current perspectives article, we present various experimental approaches that can be used to tackle the many unanswered questions surrounding mouthfeel from a biophysical point of view perspective. We have focused on biological atomic force microscopy."

The atomic force microscope is a suitable tool for scanning surfaces at an atomic level or investigating interactions between molecules such as food constituents and receptor proteins. However, it can also be used to apply mechanical pressure to cells, thereby activating mechanoreceptors for identifying and characterizing their cellular signal response.

Rethinking the traditional definition

According to Melanie Köhler, a fundamental biophysical and functional understanding of the diverse mechanosensory key players in oral and extra-oral tissue as well as their responses to food constituents is important. It enables constructing new hypotheses about the contribution of mechanosensors to the overall sensory impression of a food for answering many questions that are still pending in the molecular field.

"With regard to food research, we expect that future results will lead to a revision of our traditional definition of flavor, i.e. the overall sensory impression of a food, by including mechanical perception as an additional factor alongside taste and smell," explains the young scientist. "In terms of food production, our pioneering research approach opens up promising perspectives for the design of future, enjoyable and health-conscious nutritional options," Melanie Köhler continues.

Publication: Koehler, M., Benthin, J., Karanth, S., Wiesenfarth, M., Sebald, K., and Somoza, V. (2024). Biophysical investigations using atomic force microscopy can elucidate the link between mouthfeel and flavor perception. Nat Food 5, 281-287. 10.1038/s43016-024-00958-3. www.nature.com/articles/s43016-024-00958-3

Contact:

Scientific contact:

Prof. Dr. Veronika Somoza
Director of the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology
at the Technical University of Munich (Leibniz-LSB@TUM)
Head of the Research Group Metabolic Function & Biosignals
Lise-Meitner-Str. 34
85354 Freising
E-mail: v.somoza.leibniz-lsb@tum.de

Dr. Melanie Köhler
Head of the Junior Research Group Mechanoreceptors at Leibniz-LSB@TUM
Phone: +49 8161 71-2745
E-mail: m.koehler.leibniz-lsb@tum.de

Press Contact at the Leibniz-LSB@TUM:

Dr. Gisela Olias
Knowledge Transfer, Press and Public Relations
Phone: +49 8161 71-2980
E-mail: g.olias.leibniz-lsb@tum.de
www.leibniz-lsb.de

Information About the Institute:

The Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (Leibniz-LSB@TUM) comprises a new, unique research profile at the interface of Food Chemistry & Biology, Chemosensors & Technology, and Bioinformatics & Machine Learning. As this profile has grown far beyond the previous core discipline of classical food chemistry, the institute spearheads the development of a food systems biology. Its aim is to develop new approaches for the sustainable production of sufficient quantities of food whose biologically active effector molecule profiles are geared to health and nutritional needs, but also to the sensory preferences of consumers. To do so, the institute explores the complex networks of sensorically relevant effector molecules along the entire food production chain with a focus on making their effects systemically understandable and predictable in the long term.

The Leibniz-LSB@TUM is a member of the Leibniz Association, which connects 97 independent research institutions. Their orientation ranges from the natural sciences, engineering and environmental sciences through economics, spatial and social sciences to the humanities. Leibniz Institutes devote themselves to social, economic and ecological issues. They conduct knowledge-oriented and application-oriented research, also in the overlapping Leibniz research networks, are or maintain scientific infrastructures and offer research-based services. The Leibniz Association focuses on knowledge transfer, especially with the Leibniz Research Museums. It advises and informs politics, science, business and the public. Leibniz institutions maintain close cooperation with universities - among others, in the form of the Leibniz Science Campuses, industry and other partners in Germany and abroad. They are subject to a transparent and independent review process. Due to their national significance, the federal government and the federal states jointly fund the institutes of the Leibniz Association. The Leibniz Institutes employ around 21,000 people, including almost 12,000 scientists. The entire budget of all the institutes is more than two billion euros.

+++ Stay up to date via our X (Twitter) channel twitter.com/LeibnizLSB +++