Quantitation and Taste Contribution of Sensory Active Molecules in Oat (Avena sativa L.)

Abstract

A total of 59 taste-active molecules were quantitated and then rated for their individual taste impact on the basis of dose-over-threshold factors in oat flour (Avena sativa L.). A sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method was developed to quantitate bitter-tasting steroidal and furostanol saponins as well as avenanthramides. Four monoglycerides, five free fatty acids and four saponins were confirmed for the first time to be major contributors to the bitter off-taste of oats, among them 1-linoleoyl-rac-glycerol, 1-stearoyl-rac-glycerol, 1-oleoyl-rac-glycerol, 1-palmitoyl-rac-glycerol, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid as well as avenacosides A and B and the recently identified furostanosides 3-(O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl­(1→2)-[β-d-glucopyranosyl­(1→3)-β-d-glucopyranosyl­(1→4)]-β-d-glucopyranosid)-26-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(25R)-furost-5-ene-3β,22,26-triol and 3-(O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl­(1→2)-[β-d-glucopyranosyl­(1→4)]-β-d-glucopyranosid)-26-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(25R)-furost-5-ene-3β,22,26-triol. By means of a stable isotope dilution assay, quantitated avenanthramides 2c, 2p, 2f, 1p, 1c, 1f, and 3f were found in concentrations below their thresholds and, therefore, did not contribute to the bitter sensation of the tested oat flour.

Genomic prediction of seed nutritional traits in biparental families of oat (Avena sativa)

“…As the biosynthetic process of fatty acids is well-conserved across plant species (Li-Beisson et al, 2013), these results are promising for employing similar methods in other grain and seed crops. This work complements the growing number of examples of genomic prediction of agronomic, quality and metabolite traits in oat (Brzozowski et al, 2022;Haikka, Knürr et al, 2020;Mellers et al, 2020;Rio et al, 2021), and provides a foundation for incorporating flavor (Günther-Jordanland et al, 2020;Lapveteläinen & Rannikko, 2000;Lapveteläinen et al, 2001) and aroma (Dach & Schieberle, 2021;Schuh & Schieberle, 2005) traits in a genomics-enabled oat breeding program. Broadly, developing effective genomic prediction methods for nutritional traits within families will contribute to efficient plant breeding for more nutritious staple crops.…”

Characterization of Bitter and Astringent Off-Taste Compounds in Potato Fibers

“…Fraction C-V exhibited the greatest intensity for bitterness and astringency with TD factors of 16 and 24 (Figure ), respectively, of the fractions sensorically analyzed, followed by less intense fractions such as C-II (bitter: 4, astringent: 14) and C-IV (bitter: 3, astringent: 10). As determined by LC-MS/MS, LC-TOF-MS, and 1D/2D NMR experiments, significant amounts of toxic compounds 1 and 2 − were localized in fractions C-VI to C-VIII, with lower amounts detectable in fraction C-V . Therefore, fractions C-VI, C-VII, and C-VIII were excluded from sensory analysis.…”

Selection for seed size has uneven effects on specialized metabolite abundance in oat (Avena sativaL.)

“…We also found that the saponins, especially the avenacosides, were more sporadically detected in the elite germplasm and within compound class correlations were weaker, potentially indicating a decrease in abundance in moving from diverse to elite germplasm. This may be due to taste: high concentrations of avenacosides in oat seed can contribute to an undesirable bitter off taste ( Günther-Jordanland et al 2016 , 2020 ). Selection for organoleptic quality has been implicated in reducing saponin concentration in cultivated legumes ( Ku et al 2020 ), and our results indicate there has been a similar historical trajectory in oat.…”