Scientists have made an intriguing discovery about the tongue’s response to ammonium chloride, also known as salmiak salt. According to researchers from the University of Southern California, this should be considered a sixth basic taste, alongside sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. While ammonium chloride isn’t commonly used worldwide, it can be found in salted liquorice, particularly in Scandinavian countries. Lead author of the study, Professor Emily Liman, explains that if you live in a Scandinavian country, you may be familiar with and potentially enjoy this taste.
For years, scientists have known that the tongue reacts strongly to ammonium chloride, but the exact mechanism behind this response remained unclear. The researchers hypothesized that the protein OTOP1, responsible for detecting sour tastes, might also play a role in detecting ammonium chloride. To test this, they introduced the Otop1 gene into lab-grown human cells, prompting the cells to produce the OTOP1 protein. These cells were then exposed to acid or ammonium chloride, and the responses were measured.
The experiments revealed that ammonium chloride activates the OTOP1 channel as effectively, if not better than acids. Further tests on mice with and without the OTOP1 gene confirmed that those with the gene avoided ammonium chloride, while those without it did not mind the taste. This finding strongly suggests that the OTOP1 channel is essential for the behavioral response to ammonium chloride.
Considering that ammonium chloride is not naturally present in many foods, the researchers questioned why our taste buds have developed the ability to detect it. Professor Liman suggests that this taste sensitivity may have evolved to help us avoid consuming harmful substances with high ammonium concentrations. As ammonium is found in waste products and fertilizer, which can be somewhat toxic, it makes sense that we have evolved taste mechanisms to detect it.
It’s important to note that this research is still in its early stages. Nevertheless, the scientists hope that their findings will inspire further studies. Who knows? Ammonium chloride may soon be recognized as the sixth basic taste, joining the ranks of sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami.
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