PSYC 2390 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Sugar Alcohol, Capsaicin, Maillard Reaction
15 Jul 2018
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Document Summary
When pungent foods are consumed, endorphins are also released, creating a sensation of pleasure amidst the pain: an example of pungent substances is the capsaicinoid family of molecules. Capsaicinoids are pungent alkaloid compounds that occur in chiles: to systematize the potency ratings of pungent substances, the scolville oranoleptic test, which uses human subjects as tasters has been developed. Low-heat and hotter chiles are quanitifed using scolville heat unit (shu). Cooling sensation: the opposite sensation to heat is the sensation of coolness in the mouth. This effect is familiar to those who chew spearmint or peppermint gum or have experienced those flavours in a dessert. Key substances responsible for the cooling effect are menthol and isomers of menthol: polyold, or sugar alcohols, are also able to produce the sensation of coolness in the mouth. Polyols are polyhydric alcohol counterparts of the sugars maltose, mannose, sucrose, and xylose, and the corresponding polyols are maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol.
