Long-term high salt intake exerts a negative impact on
human health.
The excessive use of sodium substitutes in the food industry can lead
to decreased sensory quality of food. γ-Glutamyl peptides with
pronounced taste-enhancing effects can offer an alternative approach
to salt reduction. However, the content and yield of γ-glutamyl
peptides in natural foods are relatively low. Enzyme-catalyzed synthesis
of γ-glutamyl peptides provides a feasible solution. In this
study, Pleurotus geesteranus was hydrolyzed
by Flavourzyme to generate protein hydrolysates. Subsequently, they
were modified by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens γ-glutamyl transpeptidase to generate γ-glutamyl peptides.
The reaction conditions were optimized and their taste-enhancing effects
were evaluated. Their peptide sequences were identified by parallel
reaction monitoring with liquid chromatography–tandem mass
spectrometry and analyzed using molecular docking. The optimal conditions
for generation of γ-glutamyl peptides were a pH of 10.0, an
enzyme condition of 1.2 U/g, and a reaction time of 2 h, which can
elicit a strong kokumi taste. Notably, it exhibited a remarkable taste-enhancing
effect for umami intensity (76.07%) and saltiness intensity (1.23-fold).
Several novel γ-glutamyl peptide sequences were found by liquid
chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, whereas the binding
to the calcium-sensing receptor was confirmed by molecular docking
analysis. Overall, γ-glutamyl peptides from P.
geesteranus could significantly enhance the umami
and salt tastes, which can serve as promising taste enhancers.