August 21, 2024 — BitterMasS, a new tool that harnesses the power of mass spectrometry to predict bitterness in compounds without knowledge of their chemical structures, has been developed by researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Ohio State University.

The algorithmic tool, detailed in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, offers enhanced precision and efficiency compared to traditional methods, with wide-ranging applications in food science, pharmaceuticals, and beyond. BitterMasS also holds the potential for transforming food processing, health discoveries, and safety monitoring.

“BitterMasS represents a critical shift in taste prediction,” said Prof. Masha Niv, lead researcher at the Hebrew University Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment. “By leveraging mass spectrometry data, we can now predict bitterness directly and efficiently, opening doors to new discoveries in health-promoting compounds and enhanced food processing techniques.”

This advancement marks a significant departure from traditional methods that relied on structural data, which only covers a small fraction of the metabolome, the complete set of small-molecule chemicals found within a biological sample.

Bitterness, a fundamental taste modality potentially related to toxic substances, has long intrigued scientists and food experts alike. Using a dataset of over 5,400 experimental mass spectra of bitter and non-bitter compounds, BitterMasS achieved remarkable precision and recall rates in internal tests. In external validation, the tool demonstrated robust performance, accurately identifying bitter compounds without structural information. These findings underscore BitterMasS’ potential to streamline compound screening processes in food science, pharmaceuticals, and beyond.

Researchers envision BitterMasS as a versatile tool capable of monitoring bitterness changes over time, providing critical insights into food quality and safety.

Researchers:

Evgenii Ziaikin1, Eddison Tellow2, Devin G. Peterson2, Masha Y. Niv1

Institutions:

1. Hebrew University Jerusalem, Institute of Biochemistry Food & Nutrition, Robert H Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food & Environment
2. Ohio State University, College of Food Agriculture and Environmental Science