Influence of carboxymethyl cellulose and sodium alginate on sweetness intensity of Aspartame

•CMC-L showed suppression on the sweetness of Aspartame, while SA did not.•Different mechanisms of the influence of CMC-L and SA on Aspartame were disclosed.•CMC-L and SA weakened the binding of Aspartame with taste receptor model.•Water mobility and diffusion decrease in CMC-L solution.•Higher amount of free water facilitates the diffusion of Aspartame in SA solution. Sensory evaluation of Aspartame in the presence of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-L) and sodium alginate (SA) revealed that only CMC-L showed a suppression effect, while SA did not. By using an artificial taste receptor model, we found that the presence of SA or CMC-L resulted in a decrease in association constants. Further investigation of CMC-L solution revealed that the decrease in water mobility and diffusion also contribute to the suppression effect. In the case of SA, the decreased viscosity and comparatively higher amount of free water facilitated the diffusion of sweetener, which might compensate for the decreased binding constant between Aspartame and receptor. This may suppress the impact of SA on sweetness intensity. The results suggest that exploring the binding affinity of taste molecules with the receptor, along with water mobility and diffusion in hydrocolloidal structures, provide sufficient information for understanding the mechanism behind the effect of macromolecular hydrocolloids on taste.