Synergistic Effect Mechanism of Binary Sweet Taste Compounds

In our previous study, phloridzin, sucrose, l-alanine, and dulcitol presented synergistic effects in Camellia nanchuanica black tea (NCBT). This study aims to verify the synergistic effects of the aforementioned sweet taste compounds and the mechanism involved. By conducting σ–τ plot analysis, phloridzin at the recognition threshold concentration (phl) exhibited synergistic effects with different concentrations of sucrose (Lsuc–6suc). Various concentrations of sucrose, phloridzin, and their combinations were selected to investigate the impact on sweet taste receptor cells. The results revealed that sucrose/phloridzin significantly increased the calcium signal compared to phloridzin and sucrose alone, attributed to the greater stability of the sucrose/phloridzin combination when binding to Taste 1 Receptor Member 3 (TAS1R3; one subunit of sweet taste receptor proteins). Ultimately, the sweet taste signal of sucrose/phloridzin was transmitted to the brain, triggering the activation of more brain regions associated with sweet taste perception (right insular, postcentral, and amygdala).