title: Perception of bitterness, sweetness and liking of different genotypes of lettuce.
abstract: Lettuce is an important leafy vegetable, consumed across the world, containing bitter sesquiterpenoid lactone (SL) compounds that may negatively affect consumer acceptance and consumption. We assessed liking of samples with differing absolute abundance and different ratios of bitter:sweet compounds by analysing recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from an interspecific lettuce mapping population derived from a cross between a wild (L. serriola acc. UC96US23) and domesticated lettuce (L. sativa, cv. Salinas). We found that the ratio of bitter:sweet compounds was a key determinant of bitterness perception and liking. We were able to demonstrate that SLs, such as 8-deoxylactucin-15-sulphate, contribute most strongly to bitterness perception, whilst 15-p-hydroxylphenylacetyllactucin-8-sulphate does not contribute to bitter taste. Glucose was the sugar most highly correlated with sweetness perception. There is a genetic basis to the biochemical composition of lettuce. This information will be useful in lettuce breeding programmes in order to produce leaves with more favourable taste profiles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, PO Box 226, Whiteknights, Reading, Berkshire RG6 6AP, UK; A L Tozer Ltd, Pyports, Downside Bridge Road, Cobham, Surrey KT11 3EH, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chadwick
authors.affiliation: A L Tozer Ltd, Pyports, Downside Bridge Road, Cobham, Surrey KT11 3EH, UK.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gawthrop
authors.affiliation: The Genome Center, 1 Shields Avenue, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Michelmore
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, PO Box 226, Whiteknights, Reading, Berkshire RG6 6AP, UK; Centre for Food Security, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, Berkshire RG6 6AH, UK. Electronic address: c.wagstaff@reading.ac.uk.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wagstaff
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, PO Box 226, Whiteknights, Reading, Berkshire RG6 6AP, UK.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Methven
mesh_terms: D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000032:analysis; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000502:physiology; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D018545:Lactuca / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D059808:Polyphenols / Q000032:analysis; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000032:analysis; D055697:Taste Perception / Q000502:physiology; D013652:Taste Threshold / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates; D059808:Polyphenols; D012717:Sesquiterpenes
keywords: Bitter suppression; Bitterness; Lettuce; Sesquiterpenoid lactone; Sugar; Sweetness