Unraveling umami and kokumi: taste characteristics and molecular mechanisms of milk-derived peptidesDownload PDF Download PDF ArticleOpen accessPublished: 18 September 2026Yanmei Xi1,Fei Pan2,Akerke Kulaipbekova1,3,Zhanar Nabiyeva3,Baoguo Sun1 na1 &…Nasi Ai1 na1 npj Science of Food (2026) Cite this articleSave articleView saved research We’re sharing this article early to provide faster access to peer-reviewed, accepted research. It is citable and carries a permanent DOI. This version is subject to further edits and will be replaced automatically by the final Version of Record. All legal disclaimers apply.AbstractAlthough taste-active peptides have been isolated from enzymatic hydrolysates of defatted high-protein milk powder, their sensory properties, processing stability, and receptor-binding mechanisms remain largely unexplored. In this study, we synthesized milk-derived taste- active peptides in vitro and systematically characterized their taste profiles and underlying molecular mechanisms Eight key taste-activate peptides were identified from milk-derived protein hydrolysates. LSFD, LKPTPEGD (LD8), and TMKGLDIQ (TQ8) exhibited the lowest umami detection thresholds among all tested peptides. At a concentration of 1 mg/mL, the glutathione equivalent values of these peptides ranged from 0.66 to 1.48 mg/mL, with EDIKQME exhibiting the strongest kokumi-enhancing activity. All identified peptides remained stable under mildly acidic to near-neutral conditions (pH 4–6), and some exhibited high thermal stability at 75–85 °C, indicating their suitability for thermally processed foods. Furthermore, LSFD interacts with both CaSR and T1R1/T1R3 receptors via hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed conformational changes induced by LSFD binding to these receptors, providing novel insights into the dynamic mechanisms underlying peptide-receptor recognition. Collectively, these milk-derived taste-active peptides show considerable potential as natural flavor enhancers in food applications.AcknowledgementsThis work was supported by a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32272460).Author informationAuthor notesThese authors contributed equally: Baoguo Sun, Nasi Ai.Authors and AffiliationsKey Laboratory of Geriatric Nutrition and Health (Beijing Technology and Business University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, PR ChinaYanmei Xi, Akerke Kulaipbekova, Baoguo Sun & Nasi AiChinese Academy of Agriculture Science, Institute of Apicultural Research, State Key Lab Resource Insects, Beijing, PR ChinaFei PanDepartment of Food Technology, Almaty Technological University, Almaty, KazakhstanAkerke Kulaipbekova & Zhanar NabiyevaAuthorsYanmei XiView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarFei PanView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarAkerke KulaipbekovaView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarZhanar NabiyevaView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarBaoguo SunView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarNasi AiView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarCorresponding authorsCorrespondence to Baoguo Sun or Nasi Ai.Ethics declarationsCompeting interestsThe authors declare no competing interests.Additional informationPublisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.Supplementary informationRights and permissionsOpen Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.Reprints and permissionsAbout this article