Abstract:

The molecules responsible for food taste perception are defined as kokumi flavor compounds. Sensory evaluation revealed 6 Sephadex G-15 column chromatographic (GPC) fractions (P1, P2, P3, P4, P5 and P6) from hydrolyzed milk protein contained some kokumi flavor compounds, compared to skimmed fresh milk. P4 fraction separated by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) exhibited the strongest kokumi sensation. Totally 11 peptides in P4 fraction were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Most peptides were originated from β -casein. MALDI-TOF-MS also exhibited that Glu and Cys in these peptides were the most important composition related to the kokumi flavor as previously reported.

Key words: flavor peptides derived from enzymatically digested milk protein, kokumi flavor compounds, peptide identification