Beef protein was hydrolyzed with each of six commercial enzymes (alcalase, chymotrypsin, trypsin, pepsin, flavourzyme, and thermoase). Electronic tongue measurements showed that the hydrolysates had significantly (p <； 0.05) lower bitter scores than quinine. Addition of the hydrolysates to quinine led to reduced bitterness intensity of quinine with trypsin and pepsin hydrolysates being the most effective. Addition of the hydrolysates to HEK293T cells that heterologously express one of the bitter taste receptors (T2R4) showed alcalase, thermoase, pepsin and trypsin hydrolysates as the most effective in reducing calcium mobilization. Eight peptides that were identified from the alcalase and chymotrypsin hydrolysates also suppressed bitter agonist-dependent calcium release from T2R4 and T2R14 with AGDDAPRAVF and ETSARHL being the most effective.
