Humans perceive thousands of compounds as bitter. In sharp contrast, only ∼25 taste 2
receptors (TAS2R) bitter taste receptors have been identified, raising the question as to how the …

Much of our appreciation of food is due to the excitement of the perception of “sweet” and “umami”
taste. With a special focus on natural products, this Review gives a summary of …

A vast number of structurally diverse bitter compounds need to be detected by a subfamily
of only approximately 25 human bitter receptors. Failure in detecting them might be lethal, …

Weight-conscious subjects and diabetics use the sulfonyl amide sweeteners saccharin and
acesulfame K to reduce their calorie and sugar intake. However, the intrinsic bitter aftertaste, …

An ever increasing number of reports about taste receptors in non-gustatory tissues suggest
that these molecules must have additional functions apart from taste. Of the extraoral tissues …

In contrast to carbohydrates and proteins, which are detected by specialized taste receptors
in the forms of their respective building blocks, sugars, and L-amino acids, the third …

The recent advances in the functional expression of TAS2Rs in heterologous systems resulted
in the identification of bitter tastants that specifically activate receptors of this family. All …

Human bitter taste is mediated by ∼25 members of the human TAS2 receptor (hTAS2R)
gene family. The hTAS2R genes are expressed in taste buds of gustatory papillae on the …

Sesquiterpene lactones are a major class of natural bitter compounds occurring in vegetables
and culinary herbs as well as in aromatic and medicinal plants, where they often represent …

One key to animal survival is the detection and avoidance of potentially harmful compounds
by their bitter taste. Variable numbers of taste 2 receptor genes expressed in the gustatory …