COCOA FLAVOUR PRECURSOR PEPTIDES, DNA ENCODING THEM, PROCESSES FOR PRODUCING THE PEPTIDES, AND THEIR USE FOR GENERATING COCOA FLAVOUR

摘要

Cocoa flavour precursor peptides comprising 2-11 amino acid residues, in particular the nonapeptide Ala-Pro-Leu-Ser-Pro-Gly-Asp-Val-Phe, are isolated and characeterized from West African cocoa bens. A DNA sequence comprising the code of the peptides is synthesized, and this is inserted into replicable vectors. A recombinant host cell transformed with an expression vector containing one or more copies of the DNA sequence operably connected with control sequences which are recognized by the host cell, is cultivated to form the peptides, and these are isolated from the cultivation mixture. A cocoa flavour is produced by mixing one or more of the peptides with predominantly reducing saccharides and amino acids and roasting the mixture. The cocoa flavour may be added to food products, cosmetic products or pharmaceutical products or may be formed in situ in these.