A reduction in sugar consumption is desirable from a health point of view. However, the sensory profiles of alternative sweet tasting compounds differ from sucrose regarding their temporal profile and undesired side tastes, reducing consumers’ acceptance. The present study describes a sensory characterization of a variety of sweet and sweet taste affecting compounds followed by a comparison of similarity to sucrose and a multivariate regression analysis to investigate structural determinants and possible interactions for the temporal profile of the sweetness and side-tastes. The results of the present study suggest a pivotal role for the number of ketones, aromatic rings, double bonds and the M LogP in the temporal profile of sweet and sweet taste affecting compounds. Furthermore, interactions between aggregated physicochemical descriptors demonstrate the complexity of the sensory response, which should be considered in future models to predict a comprehensive sensory profile of sweet and sweet taste affecting compounds.

Knowledge regarding the involvement of sweetness perception on energy intake is scarce. Here, the impact of glucose and sucrose sweetness, beyond their caloric load, on subsequent food intake and biomarkers of satiation was evaluated by co-administration of the sweet taste receptor inhibitor lactisole. A total of 27 healthy, male subjects received solutions of either 10% glucose w/o 60 ppm lactisole or 10% sucrose w/o 60 ppm lactisole. Subsequent food intake from a standardized breakfast was evaluated 2 h after receiving the respective test solution. Changes in postprandial plasma concentrations of cholecystokinin, ghrelin, and serotonin were determined over a period of 120 min, as was the body temperature. Administration of lactisole to the sucrose solution increased the energy intake from the subsequent standardized breakfast by 12.9 ± 5.8% (p = 0.04), led to a decreased Δ AUC of the body core temperature by 46 ± 20% (p = 0.01), and time-dependently reduced Δ serotonin plasma concentrations (−16.9 ± 6.06 ng/mL vs. −0.56 ± 3.7 ng/mL after sucrose administration, p = 0.03). The present study shows that lactisole increases energy intake and decreases plasma serotonin concentrations as well as body core temperature induced by sucrose, but not glucose. This finding may be associated with the different binding affinities of sucrose and glucose to the sweet taste receptor.

Scope This study investigates the effect of the sweetness of a sucrose versus an isocaloric glucose solution in dietary concentrations on blood glucose regulation by adjusting the sweetness level using the sweet taste inhibitor lactisole. Methods and Results A total of 27 healthy males participated in this randomized, crossover study with four treatments: 10% glucose, 10% sucrose, 10% sucrose + 60 ppm lactisole, and 10% glucose + 60 ppm lactisole. Plasma glucose, insulin, glucagon‐like peptide 1, and glucagon levels are measured at baseline and 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min after beverage consumption. Test subjects rated the sucrose solution to be sweeter than the isocaloric glucose solution, whereas no difference in sweetness is reported after addition of lactisole to the sucrose solution. Administration of the less sweet glucose solution versus sucrose led to higher blood glucose levels after 30 min, as reflected by a lower ΔAUC for sucrose (1072 ± 136) than for glucose (1567 ± 231). Application of lactisole leads to no differences in glucose, insulin, or glucagon responses induced by sucrose or glucose. Conclusion The results indicate that the structure of the carbohydrate has a stronger impact on the regulation of blood glucose levels than the perceived sweetness.