Quality Evaluation for Japanese Sake Using Taste Sensor with LB Films

Abstract

In this study, we developed a novel taste sensor with Langmuir Blodgett (LB) films for evaluating the quality of Japanese sake. The sensing films were made of stearic acid (SA), DODABr and lanthanides coordinating with SA (Ln-SA), specifically, Tb-SA and Eu-SA. We measured electrical potentials of three different kinds of Japanese sake by the developed sensors. As a result, we obtained the different responses from each sensor. In addition, these results showed that the Ln-SA films enhanced the sensitivity of taste sensors with LB films to Japanese sake. This study indicates that Japanese sake of different manufacturing processes are discriminated by principal component analyses for developed sensor responses, and the modification of LB film materials makes it possible to develop high sensitivity taste sensor systems for evaluating the quality of Japanese sake.