A psychophysical investigation of Beidler's mixture equation

Beidler's mixture equation (1971) describes the relationshipbetween the concentration and composition of a binary mixtureand the magnitude of the neural response. Later this equationwas generalized to a psychophysical level. The purpose of thepresent study is to show that Beidler's mixture equation canbe tested appropriately with indirect psychophysical methods,without the necessity of making assumptions about the magnitudeof the maximum responses to the single compounds which constitutethe mixture. Experiments were carried out using glucose andfructose as tastants. Concentrations of fructose and three equiratiomixture types containing glucose and fructose were matched inperceived sweetness intensities to five different glucose concentrationsusing the method of constant stimuli. The results showed thatBeidler's mixture equation describes accurately the taste interactionbetween glucose and fructose at low sweetness levels. At highsweetness levels the taste system is more efficient, as couldbe expected on the basis of Beidler's mixture equation, becausethe experimentally determined mixture concentrations were lowerthan those predicted by the mixture equation. The findings suggestthat glucose and fructose share common receptors, but that eitherone or both have additional secondary binding mechanisms.