Research on the regulatory principles and molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction between erythritol and aroma compounds in sweet oranges.

Artificial sensory analysis, electronic tongue analysis, cell model and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation were integrated to explore how sweet aroma compounds in sweet oranges affect the perceived sweetness of erythritol. Sensory analysis and cell model verified that γ-decanolactone has the best sweet-enhancing effect. MD simulations were carried out to reveal the mechanisms underpinning action of the erythritol-sweet taste receptor protein binary system and the ternary systems formed by γ-decanolactone with erythritol and sweet taste receptor proteins. The findings revealed that sweet aroma compounds could alter receptor protein conformational stability and key amino acid residue interactions, thus enhancing the binding stability of erythritol to sweet taste receptor proteins and improving human sweetness perception. The research offers a comprehensive summary of the connections among research methods for sugar-reducing sweet aroma substances, provides theoretical support for developing low-sugar and sugar-substitute foods in the food industry.