L-theanine elicits an umami taste with inosine 5′-monophosphate

Abstract

We investigated the taste synergy between L-theanine and the flavour enhancer, inosine 5′-monophosphate (IMP), by using a human sensory evaluation. When L-theanine was added to IMP, only the umami taste was enhanced. We then investigated this synergistic effect of L-theanine in mice by gustatory nerve recording. We confirmed the synergism between L-theanine and IMP for the umami taste.