Glutamate-specific receptor found on tongue

A CENTURY after Kikunae Ikeda discovered the flavor-giving properties of glutamate, new research now reveals that the human tongue has a receptor that is exclusively activated by this nonessential amino acid. 揂lthough other receptors have been found on the tongue that are also aroused by glutamate, they are not specific. That is, they need to be in contact with nucleotides and many other amino acids to be activated. Our study reveals the first receptor on the tongue exclusively for glutamate,?Ana San Gabriel, the main author of the article and a scientist based at the Institute of Life Sciences in Ajinomoto, Kawasaki in Japan. Used commercially as glutamate sodium salt, monosodium glutamate (MSG) E-621 is used to reduce cooking and meal preparation time, and to reduce the sodium in meals. Table salt contains 40% sodium, whereas MSG contains 13%. Many fermented or ripe foods are rich in natural MSG, such as ripe tomatoes (250-300 mg/100g), Parmesan cheese (1600 mg/100g), Roquefort cheese (1600 mg/100g) and Gouda cheese (580 mg/100g).Adidas Falcon