Abstract:

The present work was undertaken to establish a rapid method for evaluating pungency in Zanthoxylum bungeanum
using electronic sensors. The pungent substances extracted from the dried fruit pericarp of Zanthoxylum bungeanum were
tested using an electronic tongue. Based on sensory difference tests, a predictive model for pungent substances in the
dried fruit pericarp of Zanthoxylum bungeanum was proposed using Euclidean distance as the differential degree through
comparative and parallel analysis of unknown and reference samples. Results showed that the differential degree could well
respond to serial concentrations in samples, and the concentration difference could be represented by a linear mathematical
model. The prediction of unknown samples using this model showed that the relative standard deviation between the
predicted and actual values was less than 20%, which meets the requirements for quantitative evaluation of taste attributes.
This study is a breakthrough in predicting pungent concentration, and also has laid a solid foundation for quantitative
prediction of pungent intensity by providing a method for semi-quantitative and quantitative detection.

Key words: electronic tongue, Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim., pungency, quantitation, differential degree, Euclidean distance