Mechanistic insights into cross-modal aroma-taste interactions mediating sweetness perception enhancement in Fu brick tea

Growing demand for sugar reduction in beverage necessitates innovative approaches to maintain sweetness perception without compromising acceptability. Volatile compounds in Fu brick tea (FBT) were analyzed using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography/olfactometry-associated taste (GC/O-AT), identifying four key sweetness-associated aroma compounds. Threshold determination coupled with gradient monomer recombination experiments quantified compound-specific sweetness contributions. Sensory evaluation revealed α-ionone, linalool, and sclareolide as superior enhancers, with α-ionone demonstrating optimal potency and palatability. Molecular docking simulations showed T1R2/T1R3 binding energies of −7.0 kcal/mol (sclareolide), −6.2 kcal/mol (α-ionone), −5.8 kcal/mol (geranyl isovalerate) and − 5.0 kcal/mol (linalool). However, binding energy magnitude lacked absolute correlation with sensory enhancement. Molecular dynamics simulations further confirmed stable ligand-receptor complexes mediated primarily by hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic forces. This study elucidates cross-modal aroma-taste interactions as critical drivers of sweetness perception in FBT, offering a multidisciplinary methodology to design reduced-sugar beverages with preserved sensory appeal.