Molecular mechanism of sweetness sensation.

The current understanding of peripheral molecular events involved in sweet taste sensation in humans is reviewed. Included are discussions of the sweetener receptor T1R2/T1R3, its agonists, antagonists, positive allosteric modulators, the transduction of its activation in taste bud cells and the coding of its signaling to the CNS. Areas of incomplete understanding include 1) signal communication with afferent nerve fibers, 2) contrasting concentration/response (C/R) functions for high-potency (HP) sweeteners (hyperbolic) and carbohydrate (CHO) sweeteners (linear), 3) contrasting temporal profiles for HP sweeteners (delayed onset and extinction) and CHO sweeteners (rapid onset and extinction) and 4) contrasting adaptation behaviors for HP sweeteners (moderate to strong adaptation) and CHO sweeteners (low adaptation). Evidence based on the sweet water aftertastes of several novel sweetness inhibitors is presented providing new support for constitutive activity in T1R2/T1R3. And a model is developed to rationalize the linear C/R functions of CHO sweeteners and hyperbolic C/R functions of HP sweeteners, where the former may activate T1R2/T1R3 by both binding and constitutive activity modulation (i.e., without binding) and the latter activate T1R2/T1R3 only by binding.

Non-caloric sweeteners, sweetness modulators, and sweetener enhancers.

For a new sweetness technology to realize strong commercial success, it must be safe, exhibit good taste quality, be sufficiently soluble and stable in food and beverage systems, and be cost effective and patentable. Assessments of the commercial promise of eight synthetic and eight natural non-caloric sweeteners are made relevant to these metrics. High-potency (HP) non-caloric sweeteners, both synthetic and natural, are generally limited in taste quality by (a) low maximal sweetness response, (b) "off" tastes, (c) slow-onset sweet tastes that linger, and (d) sweet tastes that adapt or desensitize the gustatory system. Formulation approaches to address these limitations are discussed. Enhancement of the normal sucrose sensory response by action of a sweetener receptor positive allosteric modulator (PAM) has been achieved with very significant calorie reduction and with retention of the taste quality of sucrose. Research on PAM discovery over the past decade is summarized.

Positive allosteric modulators of the human sweet taste receptor enhance sweet taste.

To identify molecules that could enhance sweetness perception, we undertook the screening of a compound library using a cell-based assay for the human sweet taste receptor and a panel of selected sweeteners. In one of these screens we found a hit, SE-1, which significantly enhanced the activity of sucralose in the assay. At 50 microM, SE-1 increased the sucralose potency by >20-fold. On the other hand, SE-1 exhibited little or no agonist activity on its own. SE-1 effects were strikingly selective for sucralose. Other popular sweeteners such as aspartame, cyclamate, and saccharin were not enhanced by SE-1 whereas sucrose and neotame potency were increased only by 1.3- to 2.5-fold at 50 microM. Further assay-guided chemical optimization of the initial hit SE-1 led to the discovery of SE-2 and SE-3, selective enhancers of sucralose and sucrose, respectively. SE-2 (50 microM) and SE-3 (200 microM) increased sucralose and sucrose potencies in the assay by 24- and 4.7-fold, respectively. In human taste tests, 100 microM of SE-1 and SE-2 allowed for a reduction of 50% to >80% in the concentration of sucralose, respectively, while maintaining the sweetness intensity, and 100 microM SE-3 allowed for a reduction of 33% in the concentration of sucrose while maintaining the sweetness intensity. These enhancers did not exhibit any sweetness when tasted on their own. Positive allosteric modulators of the human sweet taste receptor could help reduce the caloric content in food and beverages while maintaining the desired taste.

Prolonged insula activation during perception of aftertaste.

Although a critical component of taste perception, the neural basis of aftertaste perception has yet to be elucidated with neuroimaging. This functional neuroimaging study assessed the temporal dynamics of neural responses to sucrose and aspartame in eight healthy volunteers. Aspartame has a sweetness flavor profile similar to sucrose but a longer temporal profile. Participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while tasting sucrose and aspartame solutions administered through a magnetic resonance imaging compatible delivery device. The insula showed significantly longer activation to aspartame than sucrose, whereas other regions activated by the task (somatosensory cortex, thalamus, amygdala, and basal ganglia) did not show a prolonged response to either tastant. These findings implicate the insula in aftertaste perception.

Gas-phase intramolecular elimination reaction studies of steviol glycosides in positive electrospray and tandem mass spectrometry.

This paper reports the first study of the gas-phase intramolecular elimination reaction of steviol glycosides in positive electrospray mass spectrometry. The observed glycosylated product ions are proposed to be formed via an intramolecular elimination of sugar units from the parent molecule ion. It was further proven by MS/MS studies and deuterium labeling experiments with one of the steviol glycosides, rebaudioside A. These mass spectrometric results confirmed that the new glycosylated product ions observed are most likely formed by the combination of glucose moieties (Glu) II-IV and Glu I via a gas-phase intramolecular elimination reaction.

Photostability of rebaudioside A and stevioside in beverages.

The Coca-Cola Company and Cargill, Inc. have initiated the development and commercialization of the Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) derived sweetener rebaudioside A. Efforts were focused on high purity rebaudioside A (>97% by HPLC), commonly known as rebiana. In the course of the development program, extensive stability studies were carried out on rebiana, all supporting good stability for use in all food and beverage applications, including conditions where rebiana-sweetened beverages were exposed to light. Our findings on rebiana light stability refute those of an earlier study that suggested rebaudioside A to be unstable to sunlight exposure, while the structurally homologous stevioside is stable. We replicated the earlier study and found no significant photodegradation for either rebaudioside A or stevioside.