![]() 13−15 Specifically, in Bruni et al., 15 neutron diffraction has been employed to determine the structure of the hydration shell of fructose, glucose, and mannose. 12 We have recently investigated the correlation between the microscopic structure of monosaccharides in aqueous solutions and their ability to elicit sweet taste sensation. Furthermore, understanding the sugar−water interaction also has implications on the ability of sugars to stabilize proteins in solution. In short, we believe that knowing the experimentally determined hydration structure of common sugars may contribute to improving homology models for sugar−water interaction. 6 Investigating the hydration properties of sugars is motivated by the fact that (a) protein−ligand binding is often characterized in terms of a match between hydrophilic and hydrophobic surface regions both in the receptor pocket and on the target molecule 7−10 and (b) the interaction between a molecule in a biological environment and its receptor is thought to be often mediated by the presence of an aqueous medium (see for example ref 11). 3 Recent discoveries have greatly advanced our understanding of the physiology of sweet taste perception, 4 but the atomic-scale three-dimensional structure of the sweet taste receptor is currently unknown 5 and alternative methodologies, such as homology models, are required to provide the details of the binding of sweet compounds. ![]() Studies have explored the causes of such an increase, with fingers pointed at addiction-like behavior caused by dopamine and opioid released on sugar consumption, 2 and ever-increasing concerns about its links to diabetes and other diseases. ■ INTRODUCTION Although humans have evolved on a diet containing little to no refined carbohydrates, 1 in recent years, the consumption of refined or artificial sugars has dramatically increased. Our results show that the strength of the sugar− water hydrogen bond interaction is one of the factors influencing sweetness, another being the number of water molecules within the first neighboring shell of the sugar whether bonded or not. This is done by analyzing via Monte Carlo simulations the neutron diffraction differential cross sections of aqueous solutions of the three sugars and their isotopes. Here, we suggest that studies of the hydration properties of three disaccharides, namely, the natural sucrose and lactose and the artificial sucralose, may explain the difference by orders of magnitude among their sweetness. This has busted the research for the synthesis of increasingly cheaper artificial sweeteners, with low energy content and intense taste. ![]() On the other hand, exaggerated consumption may impact population health. Natural sugars combine energy supply and, except a few cases, a pleasant taste.
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