Introduction
Over the years, the application of food additives has been widely accepted in food coloring, flavoring, and sometimes in extending the shelf-life of some food classes (Jinap & Hajeb 2010, p. 1). Most importantly, food flavoring in savory food manufacturing plays a paramount nutritional role in terms of imparting the much needed appeal to certain foods, which may not be flavorful. Accordingly, for many centuries, the use of food ingredients containing free amino acids and in some cases, protein hydrolysates have found application in enhancing both the nutritional and flavor properties of various foods. For instance, the amino acid glutamate and its salts such as monosodium glutamate has been shown to enhance the flavor of various foods by imparting the savory “Umami” flavor, which is currently accepted as the fifth taste besides the sweet, sour, salty, and bitter tastes (Jinap & Hajeb, 2010, pp. 1-3; Schlichtherle-Cerny, Affolter & Cerny 2003, p. 210). This review aims at highlighting the possible application of Arginine Pyroglutamate as a food additive to enhance the savory taste of various foods.
Arginine Pyroglutamate as a food additive
To demonstrate the importance of Arginine Pyroglutamate in enhancing the savory flavor of food as hypothesized by Senomyx, it is important to look at what constitutes this compound. Arginine Pyroglutamate is a simple combination of L-arginine and L-pyroglutamic acid. Currently, studies note that Arginine Pyroglutamate in the presence of lysine enhances the release of growth hormones at much lower doses compared to L-arginine and L-arginine hydrochloride. Furthermore, additional studies note that Arginine Pyroglutamate is effective in treating alcoholism, senility, and mental retardation (Morris 2006, p. 508).
However, of particular interest in this review is the ability of Arginine Pyroglutamate to serve the function of acting as the delivery form of Pyroglutamate. Pyroglutamate is an amino acid that occurs naturally in meat, vegetables, dairy products, and some fruits. Therefore, studies note that Pyroglutamate is the major flavor component in these food classes (Morris 2006, p. 510). To substantiate the claim made by Senomyx in that the compound Arginine Pyroglutamate may act as a savory flavor enhancer, it is important to note that the Pyroglutamate component delivered by this compound may be part of the glutamic acid component that enhances the savory flavor in foods. Along the same line, Schlichtherle-Cerny and Amado (2002, p. 1515) claim that there are four pyroglutamyl peptides in different plant protein hydrolysates, which are known to elicit the savory (glutamate-like) taste in various foods.
In their analyses, Schlichtherle-Cerny and Amado (2002, pp. 1515-1522) found out that out of a preparation containing three wheat gluten hydrolysates prepared through different enzymatic treatments, the acid-deamidated hydrolysates (WGH-3) component was the least bitter of the three. Further analysis of the taste profiles of the three hydrolysates shows that WGH-3 elicits a strong savory (glutamate-like) flavor. Moreover, chemical analysis of WGH-3 demonstrates that apart from glutamate, additional organic acids in the hydrolysates contributed to its taste. Through fractionation of WGH-3, it was shown that there were two major fractions eliciting the savory taste, and the chemical analysis of one of the fractions revealed the presence of pyroglutamyl peptides. Most probably, the four peptides identified as pGlu-Pro-Ser, pGlu-Pro-Gln, pGlu-Pro, and pGlu-Pro-Glu; were formed as a result of the N-terminal cyclization of the glutamine residues in the protein preparation. From these results, it is apparent that the Pyroglutamate component of Arginine Pyroglutamate is the most probable candidate for the flavor enhancing properties of the compound, and thus it can find practical application as a food additive (Schlichtherle-Cerny, Affolter & Cerny 2003, pp. 210-222).
Conclusion
From the foregoing discussions, it can be deduced that the compound Arginine Pyroglutamate can be used as a food additive. However, from what has been shown in the use of this compound as a food supplement in terms of the inherent adverse effects associated with its constituent components, it is hereby recommended that the management of Campell Soup Company should consider initiating parallel research studies to infer the presence of adverse effects arising from this compound. This is because currently there are no such studies documenting reported adverse effects of the compound as a whole. Therefore, before initiating the use of this compound as a food additive, there is the paramount need to be on the safer side of the law by conducting such preliminary studies.
Reference List
Jinap, S., & Hajeb, P., 2010. Glutamate: Its applications in food and contribution to health. Appetite, 55, pp. 1-10.
Morris, S.M., 2006. Supplement: Looking ahead in honoring the past. Arginine: Beyond protein. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 83(2), pp. 508S-512S.
Schlichtherle-Cerny, H., & Amado, R., 2002. Analysis of taste-active compounds in enzymatic hydrolysates of deamidated wheat gluten. J. Agric. Food Chem., 50(6), pp. 1515-1522.
Schlichtherle-Cerny, H., Affolter, M., & Cerny, C., 2003. Taste-active glycoconjugates of glutamate: New Umami compounds. Analytical Chemistry, 867(1), pp. 210-222.