In a food economy that is rich in refined starches, it can be hard to have a balanced starch intake. The Monell Center has just reported that the perceived texture of food varied between individuals based on the activity of an oral enzyme known as salivary amylase. While the studies sample size was of just 73 people the methodology was thorough in its approach and even analyzed DNA samples from 62 subjects to examine the genetic influences on salivary amylase.

"Differences in starch perception likely affect people’s nutritional status by influencing their liking for and intake of starchy and starch-thickened foods,” said study lead author Abigail Mandel, a nutritional scientist at Monell.

Starch, such as from wheat, potatoes, corn, and rice, is a major component of the modern diet, comprising 40 to 60 percent of our calories. Amylase enzymes secreted in saliva help break down starches into simpler sugar molecules that ultimately are absorbed into the bloodstream and thus influence blood glucose levels.

Enzyme levels and activity were measured in several ways, using saliva collected from 73 subjects. First, each person’s saliva was mixed with a standardized starch sample and a sensor measured the enzymatic break-down of the starch’s consistency. Next, enzyme and protein assays directly measured the amount and activity of salivary amylase in the saliva samples.

Finally, subjects completed continuous evaluations over a 60-second interval to rate the perceived breakdown of a starch sample while in the mouth.

“Taken together, this means that foods with different starch levels will be perceived very differently by people as a function of how much salivary amylase they produce. What may seem like a thick and resistant pudding or starchy food to some may seem noticeably thin in the mouths of others,” said senior author Paul A. S. Breslin, a Monell sensory geneticist.

The findings may also extend to starch digestion and metabolism, ultimately lending insight into why some people develop metabolic diseases while others don’t. Individuals who have more salivary amylase may break starchy foods down more quickly, leading to a more rapid increase of post-meal blood glucose levels.

The study went on to demonstrate a genetic influence on salivary amylase activity. Previous research had revealed that an individual can have anywhere from 2 to 15 copies of AMY1, the gene that codes for salivary amylase.

Mandel and collaborators analyzed DNA samples from 62 subjects and found that the number of AMY1 copies a person has is directly related to the amount and activity of their salivary amylase.

Combining the findings, the study demonstrated a series of relationships extending from variation in genes to individual differences in nutrient perception in the mouth. “A link from genetic variation to enzymatic proteins to altered physiology to oral perception of textures is quite novel and provides a complete story,” said Breslin.

Additional studies will explore relationships between the AMY1 gene copy number and liking for and consumption of starchy foods, as well as whether salivary amylase levels affect carbohydrate digestion and absorption.

Also contributing to the study were Catherine Peyrot des Gachons, Kim Plank, and Suzie Alarcon, all from Monell. Breslin also holds an appointment as Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Rutgers University. Funding was provided by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders and National Starch LLC.

The Monell Chemical Senses Center is an independent nonprofit basic research institute based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Monell advances scientific understanding of the mechanisms and functions of taste and smell to benefit human health and well-being. Using an interdisciplinary approach, scientists collaborate in the programmatic areas of sensation and perception; neuroscience and molecular biology; environmental and occupational health; nutrition and appetite; health and well-being; development, aging and regeneration; and chemical ecology and communication. For more information about Monell, visit http://www.monell.org.

PLoS One: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0013352