A receptor model for binary mixtures applied to the sweetness of fructose and glucose: De Graaf and Frijters revisited

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Abstract
Assuming that two substances (e.g. tastants or odorants) share a common type of receptor, a binary mixture model is derived from the equations for the equilibrium constants for the separate and combined reactions of the substances and the hypothesized receptor(s). It is assumed that a multimolecular interaction between stimulant molecules and a receptor or between a stimulant molecule and several receptors may occur forming a stimulant–receptor complex. This model provides a significantly superior fit to the sweetness data of De Graaf and Frijters (1986) on mixtures of fructose and glucose than an alternative model based on Beidler's (1962) theory of taste stimulation applied to mixtures. (In Beidler's model a unimolecular interaction is assumed between a stimulant molecule and a receptor.) Estimates of the parameters of the model provide information on the relative stoichiometric coefficients of the reactants and the relative equilibrium constants for the reactions between the receptor and the substances alone. The derived model should have a broad domain of application in studying the interaction between ligands and receptors, and is not limited to applications in the chemical senses or to psychophysical experiments in particular.