Okoye Stephanie I, Kim Minjae, Petty Sara, Choi Myunghwan, Pepino Marta Yanina
Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
Nutrients. 2025 Sep 27;17(19):3075. doi: 10.3390/nu17193075.
Sweet taste adaptation, the decline in perceived sweetness with repeated exposure, may influence dietary behavior and differs across sweeteners. Low-calorie sweeteners (LCSs) such as sucralose strongly activate the T1R2+T1R3 receptor and are generally associated with greater adaptation than sugars, although this effect can be reduced with sweetener blends. We investigated whether habitual LCS consumption affects sweet taste perception and whether blending sucralose with small amounts of sugars attenuates adaptation using sensory tests in humans and in vivo calcium imaging in a rodent model. In study 1, habitual (HC; = 39) and non-habitual (NHC; = 42) LCS consumers rate sweetness of sucralose (0.6 mM), glucose (800 mM), fructose (475 mM), and blends with low glucose (111 mM) or fructose (45 mM) across repeated trials (1-10) using a generalized labeled magnitude scale. In study 2, a microfluidic-based intravital tongue imaging system was used to assess in vivo responses to sweet adaptation in genetically modified C57BL/6 mice ( = 8) expressing a calcium indicator in type II/III cells of taste buds. Habitual LCS use was not associated with differences in sweetness perception or adaptation (all -values > 0.6). Sucralose alone produced stronger adaptation than when blended with sugars in both humans (-values < 0.002) and mice ( < 0.001). Glucose and fructose alone showed adaptation (relative decrease reached on final trial compared to the first trial: -27% ± 4% for glucose, -38% ± 5% for fructose, both -values < 0.002) but to a lower degree compared with sucralose (-66% ± 5%). Sweetener composition, rather than habitual LCS use, drives sweet taste adaptation. Blending sucralose with small amounts of sugars reduces adaptation at both perceptual and cellular levels, providing mechanistic insights relevant to the formulation of LCS products.
甜味适应，即随着反复接触甜味而导致的甜度感知下降，可能会影响饮食行为，并且不同甜味剂的甜味适应情况有所不同。三氯蔗糖等低热量甜味剂会强烈激活T1R2+T1R3受体，与糖类相比，通常具有更强的适应性，不过这种效应可以通过甜味剂混合来减弱。我们通过人体感官测试和啮齿动物模型的体内钙成像，研究了习惯性食用低热量甜味剂是否会影响甜味感知，以及将三氯蔗糖与少量糖类混合是否会减弱适应性。在研究1中，习惯性（HC；n = 39）和非习惯性（NHC；n = 42）低热量甜味剂消费者使用通用标记量级量表，在重复试验（1 - 10次）中对三氯蔗糖（0.6 mM）、葡萄糖（800 mM）、果糖（475 mM）以及与低浓度葡萄糖（111 mM）或果糖（45 mM）的混合物的甜度进行评分。在研究2中，基于微流控的活体舌成像系统用于评估在味蕾II/III型细胞中表达钙指示剂的转基因C57BL/6小鼠（n = 8）对甜味适应的体内反应。习惯性使用低热量甜味剂与甜味感知或适应性的差异无关（所有p值> 0.6）。在人类（p值< 0.002）和小鼠（p < 0.001）中，单独的三氯蔗糖比与糖类混合时产生更强的适应性。单独的葡萄糖和果糖表现出适应性（与第一次试验相比，最终试验时相对下降幅度：葡萄糖为-27% ± 4%，果糖为-38% ± 5%，两者p值< 0.002），但与三氯蔗糖相比（-66% ± 5%）程度较低。甜味剂成分而非习惯性使用低热量甜味剂驱动甜味适应。将三氯蔗糖与少量糖类混合会在感知和细胞水平上降低适应性，为低热量甜味剂产品配方提供了相关的机制见解。
