Determination and quantification of kokumi peptide, γ-glutamyl-valyl-glycine, in brewed alcoholic beverages

Recently, it has been demonstrated that kokumi substances such as glutathione are perceived through the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), and screening by CaSR assay and sensory evaluation has shown that γ-glutamyl-valyl-glycine (γ-Glu-Val-Gly) is a potent kokumi peptide. In this study, γ-Glu-Val-Gly contents in various brewed alcoholic beverages were investigated. Contents of γ-Glu-Val-Gly in four brands of wine, four brands of rice wine (sake) and eight brands of beer were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry followed by derivatization with 6-aminoquinoyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl-carbamate. The analyses indicated that γ-Glu-Val-Gly was present in all of eight beer samples at concentrations in the range of 0.08–0.18 mg/L, although the peptide was not detected in any wine or rice wine samples. These results suggest that amongst the brewed beverages tested, beer contains γ-Glu-Val-Gly, and that γ-Glu-Val-Gly is widely distributed in beer.