Sources and Forms of Existence

Glutamate is a prevalent amino-acids that can be self-produced by the human body. It is found mainly in the complexed state in protein-rich foods such as mushrooms, kelp, tomatoes, nuts, legumes, meat and most dairy products. Glutamate is present in some foods in the “free” form and only this free form of glutamate can enhance the freshness of food.

The process of creating fresh flavor

In 1908, Professor Kikuyo Ikeda of Japan used water extraction and crystallization to isolate glutamic acid from kelp to make a new type of condiment that he named Umami (freshness) for its flavor. Professor Ikeda's research revealed that the calcium, potassium, ammonium and magnesium salts of glutamic acid all form this umami flavor, in addition to a certain metallic taste produced by other minerals, thus confirming that it is due to the ionization of glutamate salts that this umami flavor is produced.

Synergistic effect with other substances

Monosodium glutamate is a widely used freshness agent both at home and abroad. When coexisting with table salt, it enhances its flavor-presenting effect, and when used together with sodium 5'-inosinate or sodium 5'-guanosinate, it has an even more multiplicative effect, which significantly enhances the freshness of food.

Taste Mechanism of Sodium Inosinate

Chemical Structure Basis

It has been reported that the hydroxyl group on the 6-position of the purine ring and the phosphorylation on the 5-position of the ribose part of the chemical structure of inosine are the necessary groups to produce fresh taste; the ribose skeleton and the phosphoric acid are the essential taste fixing group of the inosine acid-type taste agent, and the substituents on the 2-position and the 6-position of the purine ring are the auxiliary taste groups of the inosine acid.

Flavor concentration requirements

5'-Inosinic acid in aqueous solution as long as the amount of 0.012% - 0.025% present in the presence of flavor.

Synergism with Sodium Glutamate

Sodium inosinate and L - monosodium glutamate have a multiplier effect on the fresh flavor, such as sodium inosinate and L - monosodium glutamate ratio of 1:7, that is, there is a significant enhancement of the fresh flavor. 5 - inosinate and monosodium glutamate in the ratio of 1:5 to 1:20 mixing, can make monosodium glutamate 6 times the increase in the fresh flavor.

Effect on other flavors

Nicotinamide have potentiating effects on sweetness, and have killing effects on fishy, burnt, bitter, and sour tastes. The mechanism of their killing effects on sour and bitter tastes may be chelation, i.e., because nucleotides remove metal ions from the fresh-flavor sensory site, and make monosodium glutamate act effectively on the taste nerve.