Ammonium Chloride, Characterized by Its Distinct Salty Licorice Flavor, Identified as the Sixth Basic Taste.
A study led by scientists from the University of Southern California (USC) has found evidence that Ammonium Chloride is recognized as the sixth basic taste.
A new study shows that the human tongue detects ammonium chloride as a basic taste – (Image: NEW ATLAS)
Emily Liman, a member of the research team, stated: “If you live in Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden), you may be familiar with and possibly enjoy this salty licorice flavor.” According to her, a type of candy that incorporates the salty licorice flavor would have a distinctive taste: bitter, salty, and a touch of sour.
Ammonium and its gas, ammonia, are breakdown products of amino acids, which are often toxic to humans and other animals. Many species have developed the ability to detect and react to ammonium/ammonia in their environment.
The researchers observed differences in the recognition of ammonium chloride among species: The OTOP1 channels (protein-coding genes) of humans and mice were strongly activated by ammonium chloride. The OTOP1 channels in chickens were even more sensitive, while seahorses were less responsive to ammonium chloride.
The researchers plan to further explore the response of OTOP1 receptors to ammonium chloride and hope to uncover more about its evolutionary significance.
Of course, for ammonium chloride to be officially recognized as the sixth taste—alongside the five basic tastes of sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami—a lengthy review process will be necessary.
For instance, the fifth basic taste, umami (savory), was identified by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda in 1908. However, it wasn’t until 1985, at the first international scientific conference on umami in Hawaii, that umami was officially recognized as the fifth taste.
The study was published in the journal Nature Communications.
The human sense of taste occurs when ingested chemicals interact with specialized taste receptor cells (TRCs) on the tongue and palate.
These TRCs respond differently to each of the five basic tastes.
These responses release neurotransmitters onto the nerves and send signals to the brain, allowing the nervous system to identify whether what is being consumed is bitter, sweet, umami, sour, salty, or a combination of all five tastes.
