Design of a tongue equivalent for astringency assessment of plant based proteints

Abstract

Consumption of food products containing polyphenols has resulted in a feeling of dryness, roughness and puckering of the oral epithelium which is known as astringency. At high concentrations, astringent food compounds are perceived by consumers as unpleasant and has led food scientist to initiate multiple studies with the aim of reducing the unwanted effects of astringency.This project proposes a tongue equivalent design that closely mimics the properties of oral surfaces which are relevant for assessing changes to oral lubrication resulting from astringency. The nature of interactions occurring at oral interfaces containing astringents point towards a system dependence of astringency and shows the importance of adopting a tribosystems approach.