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Astringent Mouthfeel as a Consequence of Lubrication Failure
Author(s) -
Ma Shuanhong,
Lee Haeshin,
Liang Yongmin,
Zhou Feng
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201601667
Subject(s) - astringent , mouthfeel , lubrication , tannic acid , boundary lubrication , chemistry , polyphenol , materials science , food science , composite material , biochemistry , taste , organic chemistry , raw material , antioxidant
Herein, we systematically investigate the origin of astringent mouthfeel when we eat unripe fruits, drink coffee or tea, from the perspective of lubrication by simulating the dynamic weak interaction on the tongue with model protein (mucoprotein, MP) and polyphenolic compounds (tannic acid, TA). Astringency was due to the protein‐mediated lubrication failure when encountering polyphenolic molecules that normally exist, for example in unripe fruits, coffee, tea. The underlying molecular mechanism of oral tribology is widely present in nature and enables us to engineer a tongue‐like polyacrylamide composite hydrogel that exhibits high TA sensitivity and to develop a scientific strategy for catching slippery fish using TA‐containing gloves. These results provide novel and useful insights into the failure of biological boundary lubrication on soft tissue surface with the adsorbed proteins.