Ajinomoto Co., Ltd.

Naohiro Miyamura

Yuzuru Eto

Hiroaki Nagasaki

Reiko Yasuda

Yusuke Amino

Masayuki Sugiki

Toshihiro Hatanaka

Sayaka Asari

Tetsuo Yano

Sen Takeshita

Toru Okamatsu

Yayoi Kawato

Takeaki Ohsu

Yukie Seki

Tomohiko Yamanaka

Takashi Miyaki

Takeshi Iwasaki

Seiichi Sato

Katsuya Seguro

Fumie Futaki

Megumi Kaneko

Masanori Kohmura

Motonaka Kuroda

Hirokazu Kawaguchi

Takaho Tajima

Mari Kojima

Kazuhiro Hayashi

Hiroshi Tamura

A substance is described which is capable of imparting a kokumi, which shows a more excellent kokumi-imparting effect, in particular, the initial taste-imparting type of kokumi-imparting effect, which is excellent in the stability and which can easily be produced at a low cost. Additionally, a kokumi-imparting composition which includes a substance as well as a kokumi-imparting agent including the substance and other substances possessing the CaSR agonist activities in combination. More particularly, the present invention herein provides a kokumi-imparting composition consisting of &#x3b3;-Glu-Abu (L-&#x3b3;-glutamyl-L-2-amino-butyric acid) and a complex kokumi-imparting agent which includes the foregoing substance and another substance having a CaSR agonist activity, in combination.

Use of peptides for imparting kokumi

The body taste of a sweetener (for example, aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame, etc.) is improved by blending the sweetener with an amino acid or a peptide, which is able to activate a calcium receptor, such as &#x3b3;-Glu-X-Gly (wherein X represents an amino acid or an amino acid derivative), &#x3b3;-Glu-Val-Y (wherein Y represents an amino acid or an amino acid derivative), &#x3b3;-Glu-Ala, &#x3b3;-Glu-Gly, &#x3b3;-Glu-Cys, &#x3b3;-Glu-Met, &#x3b3;-Glu-Thr, &#x3b3;-Glu-Val, &#x3b3;-Glu-Orn, Asp-Gly, Cys-Gly, Cys-Met, Glu-Cys, Gly-Cys, Leu-Asp, D-Cys, &#x3b3;-Glu-Met(O), &#x3b3;-Glu-&#x3b3;-Glu-Val, &#x3b3;-Glu-Val-NH, &#x3b3;-Glu-Val-ol, &#x3b3;-Glu-Ser, &#x3b3;-Glu-Tau, &#x3b3;-Glu-Cys(S-Me)(O), &#x3b3;-Glu-Leu, &#x3b3;-Glu-Ile, &#x3b3;-Glu-t-Leu, &#x3b3;-Glu-Cys(S-Me), etc.

Sweetener

The present invention encompasses a method for screening for a kokumi-imparting substance by using the calcium receptor activity as an index, a composition containing a kokumi-imparting substance obtained by the screening method, a method for producing food or drink imparted with kokumi, and food or drink imparted with kokumi.

Kokumi-imparting agent

By searching various kinds of compounds having CaSR agonistic activity, the present invention provides CaSR agonistic agents, pharmaceutical compositions, preventive or therapeutic agents for diarrhea and kokumi-imparting agents each of which comprise the compound. More specifically, the present invention provides CaSR agonistic agents, pharmaceutical compositions, preventive or therapeutic agents for diarrhea and kokumi-imparting agents each of which comprise a glutamic acid derivative having CaSR agonistic activity or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

CaSR agonists

A substance capable of imparting a kokumi having CaSR agonist activity is described. This substance is able to impart kokumi in a superior manner, in particular, at the initial taste, and is also highly stable and can easily be produced at a low cost. The present invention thus provides a kokumi-imparting composition which includes such a substance as well as a complex kokumi-imparting composition which includes the substance and other substances possessing the CaSR agonist activities in combination. More particularly, the present invention herein provides a kokumi-imparting composition including &#x3b3;-Glu-Nva (L-&#x3b3;-glutamyl-L-norvaline), and a complex kokumi-imparting composition including the foregoing substance and another substance having a CaSR agonist activity, in combination.

A low-fat food containing an amino acid or a peptide which is able to activate a calcium receptor, examples of which include &#x3b3;-Glu-X-Gly, &#x3b3;-Glu-Val-Y, &#x3b3;-Glu-Ala, &#x3b3;-Glu-Gly, &#x3b3;-Glu-Cys, &#x3b3;-Glu-Met, &#x3b3;-Glu-Thr, &#x3b3;-Glu-Val, &#x3b3;-Glu-Orn, Asp-Gly, Cys-Gly, Cys-Met, Glu-Cys, Gly-Cys, Leu-Asp, D-Cys, &#x3b3;-Glu-Met(O), &#x3b3;-Glu-&#x3b3;-Glu-Val, &#x3b3;-Glu-Val-NH, &#x3b3;-Glu-Val-ol, &#x3b3;-Glu-Ser, &#x3b3;-Glu-Tau, &#x3b3;-Glu-Cys(S-Me)(O), &#x3b3;-Glu-Leu, &#x3b3;-Glu-Ile, &#x3b3;-Glu-t-Leu, &#x3b3;-Glu-Cys(S-Me), etc, wherein X and Y are an amino acid or an amino acid derivative.

Food

Glycopeptides and peptides having the formula: where X represents a hydrogen atom or a sugar chain, provide a taste improving function, particularly a kokumi taste imparting function. Such glycopeptides and peptides may be used to impart the kokumi taste to foods or seasonings and to improve the kokumi taste in foods with the use of seasonings that contain such glycopeptides and peptides.

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Kawasaki, Japan

Naohiro Miyamura