Saltiness-Enhancing Peptides Isolated from the Chinese Commercial Fermented Soybean Curds with Potential Applications in Salt Reduction

Salt is very important for human health and food seasoning. Recently, several peptides isolated from natural food products have been reported exhibiting a salty taste or a saltiness-enhancing function. In this investigation, taste-active peptides occurring in commercial Chinese fermented soybean curd were isolated and identified using ultrafiltration, gel permeation chromatography, ion-exchange chromatography, and nano-LC/Q–TOF MS/MS. The salty taste-enhancing function of the target fractions was confirmed by both a rat taste cell model and/or human sensory evaluation. Four decapeptides were found as taste-active compounds. Among them, peptide E (EDEGEQPRPF) was the most potent saltiness-enhancing peptide: 0.4 mg/mL in 50 mmol/L NaCl solution could increase its salty perception equivalent to the salt level of 63 mmol/L NaCl reference solution. The sequence of the peptide has been found in the α’-subunit of β-conglycinin [Glycine max]. The remaining peptides V (VGPDDDEKSW), DD (DEDEQPRPIP), and DG (DEGEQPRPFP) showed umami and kokumi tastes as well as a weak saltiness-enhancing sensation. These findings suggest that the decapeptide EDEGEQPRPF could be a possible alternative to partially reduce the amount of sodium intake without compromising for saltiness.