Excessive salt intake has emerged as a significant public health concern. Early-phase research suggests that pungent substances have the potential to reduce salt consumption, although the precise mechanism remains incompletely elucidated. This study systematically investigated the molecular basis of saltiness enhancement by má là compounds—hydroxy-α-sanshool (3 μmol/L) and capsaicin (1 μmol/L). We employed calcium imaging to monitor ionic flux in murine bud cells, Western blot and qPCR to quantify protein and gene expression in HEK293T cell models, and integrated molecular docking with dynamics simulations to characterize receptor-ligand interactions. Our findings demonstrate that both compounds significantly potentiated Ca²⁺ influx through TRPV1 and SCNN1A channels. Notably, the hydroxy-α-sanshool/capsaicin combination reverses the suppressive effect of capsaicin alone on SCNN1A expression and coordinately upregulates TRPV1 and SCNN1A expression, accompanied by enhanced PKCα phosphorylation. Structural simulations reveal that hydroxy-α-sanshool stabilizes TRPV1 conformational states that facilitate capsaicin binding. Collectively, these results establish a mechanistic foundation for má là–mediated saltiness enhancement and support their potential application in taste modulation strategies.

Pepper (Zanthoxylum bungeanum) oil was produced by deep-frying using 17 Chinese red pepper samples from different geographical origins as raw materials, and sensory evaluation and high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) were used to determine the temporal dynamic curves of numb taste intensity and the content and composition of numb taste-active substances, respectively. The numb taste characteristics of pepper oil from different production areas were investigated by partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and systematic cluster analysis (CA). The results showed that the numb taste characteristics and the composition of numb taste-active components of pepper oil from different production areas were significantly different (P < 0.05). In addition, the 17 oil samples were clustered into four clusters. Cluster Ⅰ included the cultivars Fujiao and Mianjiao from Gansu, and Dahongpao from Maoxian and Wenchuan of Sichuan. Cluster Ⅱ included the cultivar Nanjiao from Sichuan. Cluster Ⅲ included the cultivar Dahongpao from Shaanxi, Shanxi and Hebei. Cluster Ⅳ included small- and large-sized peppers from unknown cultivars.

The volatile flavor components of fried Zanthoxylum bungeanum oil from 17 geographical origins were identified by headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that a total of 55 volatile flavor components (18 of which were common to all oil samples) were identified, including 22 hydrocarbons, 17 aldehydes and ketones, 9 alcohols, 5 esters and 2 other substances. Odor activity value (OAV) analysis showed that linalool, eucalyptol, myrcene and limonene were the key aroma substances in fried Z. bungeanum oil. Through principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discrimination analysis (PLS-DA), a discriminant model for the classification of fried Z. bungeanum oil samples according to geographical origin was established, and eight key differential flavor substances were selected using the model, namely phellandrene, ocimene, linalool, eucalyptol, linalyl acetate, (-)-β-pinene, p-cymene and myrcene. The 17 oil samples were divided into four categories according to the aroma substances. Production area and cultivar were important factors for the difference in the aroma of fried Z. bungeanum oil. The results of this study will provide a theoretical reference for the quality evaluation and geographical origin discrimination of Z. bungeanum oil on the market.

The numb taste profiles of green pepper samples collected from seven regions in Sichuan and Chongqing were characterized by time-intensity (TI) sensory evaluation, and the contents of the major numb-taste components of these samples were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Meanwhile, correlation analyses between the numb-taste components and the sensory characteristics of green pepper were carried out by partial least squares regression (PLSR). The results showed that the numbness of green pepper rapidly rose initially, followed by a slow decline, reaching its peak after around 100 s. Amide content varied greatly among different samples, from 5505.77 to 8639.30 mg/100 g. The results of PLSR indicated that the numb taste of green pepper was closely related to its amide composition, and the maximum intensity, total duration (T_tot) and area under the curve (AUC) were strongly positively correlated with hydroxy-α-sorcinin, and T_tot was strongly positively correlated with hydroxy-ε-sorcinin and hydroxy-β-sorcinin. The numb taste and amide composition of green pepper varied among the geographical areas. Hydroxy-α-sorcinol and pepper oleoresin were the key substances responsible for the differences in the numb taste of different green pepper samples. We hope that this study will provide basic data reference and a scientific basis for follow-up evaluation of the numb taste quality of green pepper from Sichuan and Chongqing.