The influence of isoflavone glycosides on the taste of subterranean clover leaves

摘要

AbstractFour variants of subterranean clover cultivar Geraldton were fed to sheep. One variant, whose flavonoid glycosides were stable due to absence of glucosidase activity in the leaves, was more distasteful to the sheep than were the other clovers. These results suggest that flavonoid glycosides may be unpalatable to the sheep whilst the products of hydrolysis (glucose and aglycone) are not.Taste testing by human subjects of seven purified isoflavone glycosides indicated a slight but distinctive astringent–bitter taste in contrast to the lack of taste of the aglycone