Development of a Biomimetic Mucosal Pellicle Model for the Objective Quantification of Polyphenol-Induced Astringency in Model Wine

Modulating astringency is crucial for enhancing the consumer appeal of polyphenol-rich products. Conventional methods struggle to provide objective quantification, while sensory evaluation is prone to fatigue and subjective bias. Here, we established a biomimetic mucosal pellicle model by loading salivary proteins onto MUC1-overexpressing HSC-3 cells. Then, a high-throughput fluorometric quantification method using Thioflavin T was developed to monitor and quantify the polyphenol-protein aggregates in situ. This model successfully quantified the aggregation potency of key polyphenols, including tannic acid, epigallocatechin gallate, and epigallocatechin. Notably, our results revealed that interfacial protein aggregation followed a sigmoidal transition, characterizing a concentration-dependent progression of mucosal protein aggregation. Sensory evaluation scores strongly correlated with the model measurements (Pearson r = 0.95), confirming the high validity of our method. This biomimetic model establishes a new paradigm for physiologically relevant astringency analysis and provides a scientific basis for the rational design and sensory optimization of polyphenol-rich foods.