Modeling the sweetness response using time–intensity data

Abstract

A general mathematical model for the temporal intensity response to a transient sweet stimulus was developed. The model is a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations, expressing the rates of diffusion across a saliva boundary layer and adsorption and desorption to receptor site proteins on the taste bud cells. In this model, the perceived intensity is considered to be the product of a scaling factor and the amount of stimulus bound to receptor sites at any given time. A parameter estimation routine was used to fit the differential equations to the time–intensity (TI) curves for five equisweet stimuli (sucrose, aspartame, thaumatin, monellin, and brazzein). Model parameters were computed for each of 19 trained judges. The predicted TI curves were close to the observed time-intensity responses for all judges and sweeteners. TI parameters varied significantly across both judges and compounds, while model predicted parameters, such as adsorption and desorption coefficients, varied significantly only across compounds. Except for one model parameter (predicted plateau time), there were no significant differences across judges for the model-predicted parameters, indicating that all judges responded similarly to each compound.