THE MASKING EFFECT OF SUCROSE ON PERCEPTION OF BITTER COMPOUNDS IN BRASSICA VEGETABLES

This study offers insight into how taste qualities interact in food. The influence of sucrose on the perceived bitter taste of sinigrin and goitrin (compounds naturally present in cabbage) was studied. A sensory panel evaluated the tastes of sucrose; the bitter compounds goitrin, sinigrin and quinine; and binary mixtures where each bitter compound was mixed with sucrose. The compounds were dispersed in water and in food model system consisting of white cabbage juice. The results were compared with those from sensory evaluation and chemical analysis of five white cabbage cultivars. Results showed that taste interactions occurred, and results from the liquid samples showed that sucrose had a masking effect on the bitter taste of sinigrin, goitrin and quinine. The perception of sweet taste depended on concentration and media. Examination of raw cabbage showed that bitterness correlated strongly with the total glucosinolate content, whereas sweetness correlated strongly with sucrose content.