Effect and mechanism of green and aldehyde aroma compounds from sweet orange on sucrose sweetness perception

At present, there are relatively few studies on the influence of green aroma and aldehyde aroma compounds on the sweetness perception of sucrose. This study examined the effects of 11 aroma compounds from sweet orange, characterized by green and aldehyde flavors, on the sweetness of a 5 % sucrose solution. Using artificial sensory analysis and electronic tongue technology, it was found that most aromatic compounds can inhibit sweetness perception, and the inhibitory effect of trans-2-decenoaldehyde is the most significant. The mechanism of inhibition was explored through molecular simulation, revealing that the binding free energy of molecular docking was greater than −5.9 kcal/mol. Further molecular dynamics analysis showed that compared with the T1R2/T1R3 sucrose binary system, the addition of aroma substances reduced the number of hotspot residues involved in protein ligand binding, and did not enhance the binding ability of ligand proteins, indicating an inhibitory effect. •Eleven green and aldehydes compounds reduced the sweetness perception of sucrose.•Increased binding energy may responsible for decrease in sweetness.•The volatiles affect sweetness mainly through hydrogen and hydrophobic forces.