Interpretation of psychophysics response curves using statistical physics

•New model was established by statistical physics to fit psychophysics response curves.•The model is able to predict the topography of the adsorbed molecules.•We distinguished two types of anchorage in the surface: parallel and perpendicular.•The relative sweetness is correlated to the adsorption energies.

Experimental gustatory curves have been fitted for four sugars (sucrose, fructose, glucose and maltitol), using a double layer adsorption model. Three parameters of the model are fitted, namely the number of molecules per site n  , the maximum response RMRM and the concentration at half saturation C1/2. The behaviours of these parameters are discussed in relationship to each molecule’s characteristics.Starting from the double layer adsorption model, we determined (in addition) the adsorption energy of each molecule on taste receptor sites.The use of the threshold expression allowed us to gain information about the adsorption occupation rate of a receptor site which fires a minimal response at a gustatory nerve.Finally, by means of this model we could calculate the configurational entropy of the adsorption system, which can describe the order and disorder of the adsorbent surface.