title: A preliminary study on the application of natural sweet proteins in agar-based gels.
abstract: Natural sweet proteins may be used as sugar replacer in simple liquid food systems but their applicability in more complex matrices has not been investigated yet. Gelling agent nature and texture characteristics as well as type and distribution of a stimulus in a gel could affect taste perception through inhibition or enhancement of tastants migration to the receptors. The mechanical, nonoral texture and time-intensity sweetness characteristics of sweet proteins MNEI and super sweet Y65R mutant, aspartame and saccharin added at a concentration iso-sweet to 40 g/L of sucrose in three agar gel concentrations (1%, 1.5%, and 2%) were evaluated. The results have shown that agar concentration and agar sweetener interaction particularly affect mechanical fracture stress and non oral hardness of the sweetened gels. Time intensity results illustrated that unlike in solution, the intensity of sweet taste in a gelled system over time decreases. Indeed, the behavior of the sweet proteins differed greatly in the gelled system compared to when they are in solution.
  
  
  
  MNEI has been proved to be a high-potency sweetener for beverages, but the possibility to use it in semisolid foodstuff was not investigated yet. This study represented a preliminary characterization of two variants of natural sweetener monellin, MNEI and Y65R in semisolid model foodstuff. The data were an important scientific contribution to the knowledge of sweet proteins in agar-based gels and could be useful in order to extend the possible application of these sweet proteins as low calorie sweeteners in semisolid foodstuffs. Some problems concerning their delivered sweetness in agar gels were underlined and their application should be optimized in order to improve sweetness conveyed.
authors.affiliation: Center of Food Innovation and Development in the Food Industry, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicoletta A
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9018-408X
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Miele
authors.affiliation: Center of Food Innovation and Development in the Food Industry, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy.|Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Di Monaco
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dell'Amura
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Rega
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Delia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Picone
authors.affiliation: Center of Food Innovation and Development in the Food Industry, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy.|Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cavella
mesh_terms: D000362:Agar / Q000737:chemistry*; D001218:Aspartame; D001628:Beverages; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry*; D050505:Mutant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D012439:Saccharin; D013395:Sucrose; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D055697:Taste Perception; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005782:Gels; D050505:Mutant Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D013549:Sweetening Agents; C002541:monellin protein, Dioscoreophyllum cumminsii; D013395:Sucrose; D000362:Agar; D012439:Saccharin; D001218:Aspartame
keywords: MNEI; Y65R; agar gel; mechanical properties; sweet taste