title: Application of a voltammetric electronic tongue and near infrared spectroscopy for a rapid umami taste assessment.
abstract: The relationships between sensory attribute and analytical measurements, performed by electronic tongue (ET) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), were investigated in order to develop a rapid method for the assessment of umami taste. Commercially available umami products and some aminoacids were submitted to sensory analysis. Results were analysed in comparison with the outcomes of analytical measurements. Multivariate exploratory analysis was performed by principal component analysis (PCA). Calibration models for prediction of the umami taste on the basis of ET and NIR signals were obtained using partial least squares (PLS) regression. Different approaches for merging data from the two different analytical instruments were considered. Both of the techniques demonstrated to provide information related with umami taste. In particular, ET signals showed the higher correlation with umami attribute. Data fusion was found to be slightly beneficial - not so significantly as to justify the coupled use of the two analytical techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Genoa, Via Dodecaneso 31, I-16146 Genoa, Italy; Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, Via Brigata Salerno 13, I-16147 Genoa, Italy. Electronic address: lucia.bagnasco@unige.it.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bagnasco
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Genoa, Via Dodecaneso 31, I-16146 Genoa, Italy; Department of Biology and Biotechnology "L. Spallanzani", University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, I-27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: M Elisabetta
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cosulich
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Milan, Via Golgi 19, I-20133 Milan, Italy; Italian Biocatalysis Center, Viale Taramelli 12, I-27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Speranza
authors.affiliation: Special Company for Professional Training and Technological and Commercial Promotion of the Chamber of Commerce of Savona, Regione Rollo, 98, I-17031 Albenga, SV, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Medini
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, Via Brigata Salerno 13, I-16147 Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Oliveri
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, Via Brigata Salerno 13, I-16147 Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lanteri
mesh_terms: D004581:Electronics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared / Q000379:methods*; D013649:Taste; D014059:Tongue
keywords: Cyclic voltammetry; Electronic tongue; Flavour enhancer; Near-infrared spectroscopy; Partial least squares (PLS) regression; Umami