Sweet-taste modifiers membranes

Sodium dodecyl sulfate, the gymnemic acids and the ziziphins have all been termed "surface active" taste modifiers because they all possess detergent-like properties. These molecules all have a polar and a non-polar end and they are capable of penetrating the phospholipid membranes that are believed to be components of sweetness receptors. Any speculation about the mechanism of action of these substances must take into account the experimental observations concerning miraculin, monellin, and thaumatin, which were presented at the beginning of this article. Those observations suggested that transport of the modifier to the cell s interior was not occurring and the inhibition effect is manifested at the surface of the cell. 

It has been proposed " that the mechanism(s) of action of gymnemic acids and ziziphins is a biphasic, model-membrane penetration-process. The model suggested that the modifier molecules interact first with the receptor-cell plasma-membrane surface. It was postulated that this initial interaction involves a selective effect on taste perception, including the transduction and quality specification of the sweet stimuli, and selective depression of sweetness perception. Following the initial interaction, the modifier molecules interact with the membrane-lipid interior to produce a general disruption of membrane function and a nonselective effect on taste... 

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