{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,1]],"date-time":"2026-05-01T12:16:18Z","timestamp":1777637778923,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,29]],"date-time":"2026-04-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1777420800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Nutr."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Garlic-flavored light soy sauce is a representative composite seasoning whose taste formation depends not only on fermentation-derived components in light soy sauce but also on the time-dependent transfer of garlic-derived taste substances. However, evidence regarding the dynamic migration of non-volatile taste-active compounds\u2014particularly free amino acids (FAAs)\u2014and their roles in taste formation during soaking remains limited. This study aimed to elucidate the time-dependent migration of garlic-derived FAAs during soaking and their contribution to taste formation, and to assess a practical soaking endpoint.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Samples at different soaking times were evaluated using electronic tongue analysis and targeted FAA quantification. The soaking procedure was used to establish a controlled experimental model rather than to represent an industrial standard protocol. Taste activity values (TAVs) and orthogonal partial least squares\u2013discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) with variable importance in projection (VIP) values were used to identify key taste-active and discriminating amino acids and to assess a practical soaking endpoint.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Electronic tongue analysis showed that sourness and bitterness gradually decreased, whereas sweetness and umami exhibited an overall increasing trend with soaking time; the 30- and 40-day samples exhibited highly similar global taste profiles, indicating stabilization of the taste profile. A total of 16 FAAs were detected: total FAAs reached a maximum at day 20, whereas glutamic acid accumulated continuously and reached its highest level at day 30. TAV analysis indicated multiple taste-active amino acids, with glutamic acid making the greatest contribution, and OPLS-DA (VIP values) likewise highlighted glutamic acid among the discriminating variables. These taste shifts were consistent with the time-dependent migration and accumulation of garlic-derived taste-active FAAs, particularly glutamic acid.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Under the tested conditions, glutamic acid is the key driver of umami enhancement and taste stabilization in the garlic\u2013light soy sauce soaking system. A soaking period of approximately 30\u202fdays can be considered a practical soaking endpoint to achieve a relatively stable and reproducible taste profile, supporting process optimization and standardization of garlic-flavored light soy sauce.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fnut.2026.1768181","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,29]],"date-time":"2026-04-29T06:09:08Z","timestamp":1777442948000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Dynamic migration of free amino acids from garlic in light soy sauce and its impact on taste formation"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Ming-Lu","family":"Lan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Health of Sichuan Provincial Universities, Sichuan Tourism University","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lin","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Culinary and Food Science Engineering, Sichuan Tourism University","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lian","family":"He","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Culinary and Food Science Engineering, Sichuan Tourism University","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hua-Chang","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Culinary and Food Science Engineering, Sichuan Tourism University","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yu-Wen","family":"Yi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Culinary Science Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Tourism University","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Xue-Mei","family":"Cai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Culinary Science Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Tourism University","place":["Chengdu, Sichuan, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"739","DOI":"10.1093\/chemse\/27.8.739","article-title":"Taste enhancements between various amino acids and IMP","volume":"27","author":"Kawai","year":"2002","journal-title":"Chem Senses"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4974","DOI":"10.1111\/1750-3841.16684","article-title":"Analysis of umami taste and their contributing compounds in edible fungi based on electronic tongue, sensory evaluation, and chemical analysis","volume":"88","author":"Feng","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Food 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