Sweet and bitter tastants specific detection by the taste cell-based sensor

Sweet and bitter tastants specific detection by cell-based sensor is investigated in this paper. Human enteroendocrine NCI-H716 cells, expressing G protein-coupled receptors and sweet receptors (type 1, member 2/type 1, member 3), and human enteroendocrine STC-1 cells, expressing G protein-coupled receptors and bitter receptors (type 2 members) are used as sensing devices. The HEK-293 cells, without taste receptor expression, are used as negative control. The electrochemical impedance spectrum data is recorded and processed by bistable stochastic resonance for signal-to-noise ratio calculation. NCI-H716 cell-based sensor selectively responds to sweeteners and sweet tastant mixtures. STC-1 cell-based sensor selectively responds to bitter tastants and bitter tastant mixtures. The tastants species and concentrations can be decided by signal-to-noise ratio parameters. HEK-293 cell-based sensor lacks the tastants discriminating ability. The taste cell-based sensor is easy to prepare and operate. This work offers a useful way in gustatory mechanism research.

► A sweet and bitter tastants specific analysis method by the taste cell-based sensor has been reported in this article.
► Taste receptor cells, NCI-H716 and STC-1, are used as taste sensing elements.
► HEK-293 cells, without taste receptor expressions, are employed as a negative control.
► The cell-cultured carbon screening printed electrodes are stimulated by various tastants.
► We analyze the measured electrochemical impedance spectrum data with bistable stochastic resonance method.
► The results show that the tastants species and concentrations can be decided by SNR maximums and the maximums located noise intensity.