Submaxillary mucin is a major component that defines the makeup and functionality of saliva. Understanding its structure and function during food intake is key to designing appropriate strategies for enhancing the delivery of flavour. In the present study, the hydrodynamic integrity of bovine submaxillary mucin was characterised under physiological and acidic conditions and it was shown to have a broad molecular weight distribution with species ranging from 100 kDa to over 2000 kDa, and a random coil type of conformation. A decrease in the pH of mucin appeared to result in aggregation and a broader molecular weight distribution, which was shown to correlate with a release of flavour compounds. Our study also provides indications that p-cresol may have an effect on the macromolecular integrity of mucin.

中文翻译：

---

颌下粘蛋白：其对酸性饮料香气释放的影响以及芳香化合物对其大分子完整性影响的新见解。


颌下粘蛋白是决定唾液组成和功能的主要成分。了解其在食物摄入过程中的结构和功能是设计增强风味传递的适当策略的关键。在本研究中，在生理和酸性条件下表征了牛颌下粘蛋白的流体动力学完整性，并显示其具有广泛的分子量分布，种类范围从100 kDa到2000 kDa以上，并且具有无规卷曲构象。粘蛋白 pH 值的降低似乎会导致聚集和更广泛的分子量分布，这与风味化合物的释放相关。我们的研究还表明对甲酚可能对粘蛋白的大分子完整性有影响。