Salivary modulation of organic acid effects on pungency perception in baijiu.

Guangnan Wang, Charles Spence, Zhuoshun Dai, Fuping Zheng, Xingqian Ye, Baoguo Sun, Huan Cheng

Journal: Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.) 2026;228():118313

PMID: 41703815

Abstract

Although ethanol dominates pungency perception in alcoholic beverages, variations among Baijiu samples with equivalent ethanol levels suggest additional modulators are involved. This study investigated the role of salivary physiology in modulating organic acid-induced temporal dynamics of pungency in Baijiu. Salivary α-amylase activity and total protein content were most closely associated with sensory dynamics. Higher amylase levels delayed onset and prolonged decline, whereas elevated protein corresponded to stronger and more persistent intensity. Acetic and hexanoic acids were identified as key modulators with distinct effects, while lactic acid functioned as a background factor with limited acute influence. Although mediation analysis didn't confirm statistical causality, validation demonstrated reproducible acid-specific impacts on salivary physiology. These results provide mechanistic insights into Baijiu pungency and highlight saliva as a critical physiological interface linking composition to sensory perception in complex food matrices.

Address: College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Intelligent Food Technology and Equipment, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Agri-food Resources and High-value Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Key Laboratory of Geriatric Nutrition and Health (Beijing Technology and Business University), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100048, China; Crossmodal Research Laboratory, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.; Crossmodal Research Laboratory, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.; Enterprise Key Laboratory of Beverage Plant Extraction Technology of Fujian Province, Damin Foodstuff (Zhangzhou) Co., Ltd, China.; Key Laboratory of Geriatric Nutrition and Health (Beijing Technology and Business University), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100048, China. Electronic address: [email protected].; College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Intelligent Food Technology and Equipment, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Agri-food Resources and High-value Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.; Key Laboratory of Geriatric Nutrition and Health (Beijing Technology and Business University), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100048, China.; College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Intelligent Food Technology and Equipment, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Agri-food Resources and High-value Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China. Electronic address: [email protected].

DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2025.118313

MeSH Terms: Humans, Saliva, Male, Adult, Taste Perception, Female, Taste, Young Adult, Alcoholic Beverages, Ethanol, Lactic Acid, Acetic Acid, Salivary alpha-Amylases