Abstract

GENETIC VARIATION IN OLFACTORY RECEPTOR GENES AND ITS IMPACTS ON CILANTRO PREFERENCE IN HUMANS

Swetha K., Sona A., Priya Senan V.*

Abstract

The leaves of the Coriandrum sativum plant, commonly referred to as cilantro or coriander, are a popular ingredient in various global cuisines. However, the appeal of cilantro has been a topic of debate for centuries. Genetic variation is a key factor in shaping individual food preferences. In particular, Olfactory Receptor (OR) genes in humans exhibit significant DNA sequence diversity, which likely contributes to differences in how people perceive and respond to certain tastes and smells. Human genome exhibits high sequence variability that it consists of approximately 800 olfactory receptor genes. Some people claim to perceive certain odors significantly different from others in terms of intensity, valence, or detection threshold. In this work, we determine the variation of olfactory receptor genes in human’s cilantro preference. A survey was conducted based on the smell of cilantro, and saliva samples were collected from individuals who perceived coriander leaves as pleasant and those who found them unpleasant. The study explains how a heterozygous mutation in the olfactory receptor gene ORA2 can be identified and associated with an individual's perception of coriander as either pleasant or unpleasant. PCR analysis and sequencing were used to detect sequence differences in the samples.

Keywords: Cilantro, olfactory receptor genes, unpleasant, pleasant, ORA2