Unraveling the cytological and neurological mechanisms of enhanced sweetness perception induced by aroma compounds in Baijiu using the taste cell model and electroencephalography technology

The sweetness of strong-aroma Baijiu is a key indicator of its widespread consumer appeal and high quality; however, the sources of its key sweet compounds and the perception mechanism remain unclear. This study identified ethyl hexanoate, ethyl pentanoate, and ethyl butanoate as the key aroma compounds inducing enhanced sweetness in Baijiu through correlation analysis. Using the STC-1 cell model, it was further verified that these three aroma compounds exhibit synergistic effects with sugar in taste cells, significantly upregulating intracellular Ca 2+ , ATP, and related mRNA expression levels in the sweet taste signaling pathway. Finally, neurological exploration through electroencephalography experiments confirmed that the left orbitofrontal cortex is the crucial brain region for integrating aroma signals and taste signals in sweetness perception. By integrating cytology and neurology, this study systematically revealed for the first time how specific ester compounds synergistically enhance sweetness perception through cellular pathways and the central cerebral cortex, providing new scientific insights and theoretical support for Baijiu flavor optimization and high-quality evaluation.