Use of a chewing device to perform a mass balance on chewing gum components

Abstract

A mechanical device was fabricated to simulate mastication of chewing gum; this device allowed us to perform a mass balance on the volatiles and non-volatiles added to chewing gum during simulated mastication. Model volatiles (ethyl butyrate, isoamyl acetate and limonene) released from the gum into the gas phase were quantified using a proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS). The chewing device was equipped to simulate salivation (saliva in) and swallowing (saliva out) using water as simulated saliva. The model compounds released into simulated saliva were extracted and quantified using gas chromatography. Sugar alcohols (sorbitol and xylitol) and glycerin were quantified using HPLC-MS. Highpotency sweeteners (acesulfame-K, sucralose, rebaudioside A and sodium saccharin) were quantified using UPLC-MS. The model volatiles initially added to the chewing gum were distributed in two or three fractions: the masticated gum (43-84%); the simulated saliva (ethyl butyrate and isoamyl acetate were recovered from the water at 9-11% and 14-17%, respectively) and the gas phase (ethyl butyrate and isoamyl acetate were recovered from the gas phase at 7-10% and 29-40%, respectively). Limonene could not be detected in the simulated saliva, and >80% remained in the gum after mastication. Almost all (>90%) of the water-soluble polyols and high-potency sweeteners were extracted from the gum into the simulated saliva by mastication. Given the presented validation of the device, we feel the device could be used to evaluate and potentially screen and evaluate ingredients in chewing gum formulations. By using a device to circumvent the variability of human subjects, a more consistent and efficient throughput of samples could be achieved.

Effect of Oral Physiology Parameters on In-Mouth Aroma Compound Release Using Lipoprotein Matrices: An In Vitro Approach

“…Although they are far from mimicking all the main human mouth functions, mechanical food breakdown was more realistically reproduced, leading to relevant flavor release kinetics produced under controlled conditions. As examples, a mechanical chewing device was specifically developed to study the dynamic release of volatile compounds by direct connection to a proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS) and sweeteners by saliva sampling analysis from chewing gums [26], although this system reproduced real human mastication patterns rather poorly. Additionally, an innovative and dynamic model mouth was specifically developed to investigate whether the intraoral pressure produced by the tongue affects the release of odorant compounds [27] by connecting online to a PTR-MS apparatus.…”

A New Approach to Estimate the Elution Characteristics of Odorants in Chewing Gum during Chewing

“…Furthermore, the approach in this study cannot consider the odorants that evaporated to the air during chewing. Recent studies have suggested that the amount of evaporated odorants during chewing would also be high (Krause et al, 2011), and it was considered that the release curves obtained from the present approach might reflect the influence of the evaporated odorants. These results suggested that the present approach using the chewing apparatus would also have limitations.…”

Proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry: A green alternative for food volatilome profiling

“…Because of its high resolution, real-time monitoring, and minimum sample pre-treatment, PTR-MS, in particular when equipped with a ToF mass analyser (PTR-ToF-MS), has been used for monitoring VOCs in nasal breath air during the in vivo mastication [29] , and in the food headspace during in vitro mastication [40][41][42][43][44] , which has allowed a more realistic measurement of dynamic VOCs release during food consumption ( Fig. 5 ).…”