2025 5+6

Scientists are looking at ways to tackle Alzheimer's and dementia from all kinds of angles, and a new study has identified the molecule hevin (or SPARCL-1) as a potential way of preventing cognitive decline.

There's nothing like a hot cup of your favorite caffeinated beverage to get you going in the morning, but for habitual drinkers a decaffeinated one may work just as well.

Antioxidants like cocoa flavanols may benefit heart health, brain ageing and the microbiome. Columnist Alexandra Thompson investigates whether it’s time to rethink chocolate

Liquid sugars like soda and juice sharply raise diabetes risk — solid sugars don't.

Growth of the ‘Snackification’ trend is changing how people eat. So, is the traditional ‘three square meals a day’ over and what does this mean for food and beverage?

Discover how bitter taste receptors in the intestines affect aging. A new study identifies specific receptors linked to metabolic changes, inflammation, and lipid metabolism. Learn how these findings may shape diet-based strategies for healthier aging.

In its purest form, cotton candy is made with just heated, caramelized sugar. But modern versions also add color, flavorings, and flavor enhancers.

Fava beans are a promising plant-based protein source, but many find their flavor unpleasant. A study conducted at the University of Helsinki investigated the root causes of the flavor issues to help develop solutions for improving the taste of fava beans.

Researchers have developed a machine learning model called DreaMS, which significantly accelerates the analysis of previously unknown molecules. The study is published in Nature Biotechnology.

The rhizomes of Alpinia galanga have a characteristic aroma, the molecular basis of which has not yet been fully clarified. Application of gas chromatography–olfactometry and aroma extract dilution analysis to the volatiles isolated from fresh A. galanga rhizomes by solvent-assisted flavor evaporation led to the detection of 43 odorants with flavor dilution factors of 1–4096. Enantiodifferentiation increased the number to 47. The structures of 36 odorants were elucidated, 18 of which were previously unknown in A. galanga, and 21 were shown to be present in concentrations above the odor threshold concentration (OTC). High odor activity values (OAVs; concentration/OTC) were particularly obtained for 1,8-cineole (130000), (S)-galangal acetate (44000), and myrcene (8000). As proof of success, the characteristic aroma of A. galanga rhizome was reconstructed with 20 major odorants in their natural concentrations. The results will contribute to a deeper molecular understanding of the aroma of Alpinia species and serve as the basis to study aroma changes during processing and culinary use of A. galanga rhizome.

HHMI Investigator Charles Zuker and his lab are exploring how detection – of a taste or other sense – is transformed into perception.

Identification of an odorant receptor in humans elucidates a molecular mechanism that influences the perceived pleasantness of Ambergris and sheds light on its enduring legacy in perfumery.

Smell is immediate, intimate, and inescapably subjective. It reaches us before language does, bypassing rational filters to stir memory, aversion, desire. And yet, unlike sound and sight, it has…

Seeing Smell Beyond the reach of normal vision, smell was mysterious, intangible, and ephemeral, and this was part of its appeal for artists. Yet, from the

Unter der hohen Zahl flüchtiger Verbindungen in Lebensmitteln spielen aber gerade einmal etwa 230 eine Rolle für den Geruch, wie deutsche Wissenschaftler in...

Sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami: Meet ammonium chloride! And as Liman explains, the more we learn about new bodily functions, the more we learn about our bodies—and how to keep them healthy.

Scientists are analysing the smells of space – from the aroma onboard space stations to planets hundreds of light years away – to learn about the makeup of the Universe.

A recent study by researchers at Friedrich Schiller University Jena has investigated how powerful modern AI models such as GPT-4 are in Chemistry and how they perform in comparison to human expert ...

Espresso cups are small because the coffee is more concentrated and to keep the crema in place.

Before we even take a bite, colour tells our brain what to crave. And it’s not just the frosting that’s doing the talking – it’s psychology, marketing, and a bit of regulatory drama.

Et si les plantes avaient plus à nous dire que ce que nos yeux peuvent voir ? C’est le pari de ce livre mêlant botanique, photographie et odeurs, nouvellement édité aux éditions Nez. À l’occasion de la dix-neuvième édition de la Fête de la nature, qui se déroule du du 21 au 25 mai 2025, nous vous proposons un échange avec l’auteur Giulio Giorgi, paysagiste, écologue et ingénieur agronome, et le photographe Audoin Desforges, qui reviennent ensemble sur cette écriture sensible du vivant, où l’odorat devient un outil d’éveil autant qu’une approche écologique. Rencontre.

This study presents the first molecular-level comparative analysis of chicken scrambled eggs and vegan scrambled eggs, identifying a total of 20 odorants using Aroma Extract Dilution Analysis (AEDA). Quantitation via Stable Isotope Dilution Assay (SIDA) and calculation of dose over threshold (DoT) factors revealed 15 key odorants with DoT factors > 1 in scrambled chicken eggs, while scrambled vegan eggs exhibited 11 key odorants with DoT factors > 1. Notably, the vegan product lacked five critical compounds: (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal (cucumber-like), 2,3-butanedione (butter-like), (E)-2-nonenal (fatty), 4-methylphenol (smoky), and 2,3-diethyl-5-methylpyrazine (earthy), while it displayed a higher odor activity for 1-octen-3-one (mushroom-like), hexanal (grassy), 3-methylbutanoic acid (sweaty), and trans-4,5-epoxy-(E)-2-decenal (metallic-like). The aroma reconstitution experiment confirmed that key odorants of scrambled chicken egg aroma were successfully decoded. Omission experiments further highlighted that even in the absence of hydrogen sulfide, the characteristic aroma of scrambled chicken eggs can be best presented by only six odorants: (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal, 2- and 3-methylbutanal (malty), 3-(methylsulfanyl)propanal (cooked potato), 2,3-butanedione, and 1-octen-3-one. These findings provide a foundational framework for optimizing the aroma of plant-based egg alternatives.

γ-Nonalactone is a ubiquitous wine aroma compound, associated with coconut and stone fruit descriptors. Despite its importance, biosynthetic pathways …