Compositions and methods for modifying perception of sweet taste

A method of increasing the perceived sweetness of a comestible comprising:

• including in the comestible one or more volatile compounds chosen from the group consisting of:
• neral, 4-carene, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-ol, isovaleric acid, and geranial,
• wherein the increase in perceived sweetness occurs without increasing the amount of natural or artificial sweetener in the comestible.

A method of decreasing the perceived sweetness of a comestible comprising including in the comestible one or more volatile compounds chosen from the group consisting of:

• 2-methylbutanal, 3-methyl-2-buten-1-yl acetate, 4-methyl-2-pentanone, and ethyl octanoate,
• wherein the decrease in perceived sweetness occurs without decreasing the amount of natural or artificial sweetener in the comestible.

A composition for increasing the perceived sweetness of a comestible, the composition comprising:

• a combination of two or more volatile compounds chosen from the group consisting of:
• neral, 4-carene, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-ol, isovaleric acid, and geranial,
• wherein the composition does not contain a sugar or artificial sweetener and increases the perceived sweetness of the comestible without increasing the amount of natural or artificial sweetener in the comestible.

A composition for increasing the perceived sweetness of a comestible, the composition comprising:

• a combination of two or more volatile compounds chosen from the group consisting of:
• 1-penten-3-one, (E)-pent-2-en-1-al, (Z)-pent-2-en-1-al, 5-octyldihydro-2(3H)-furanone, 2-decenal, nonanal, (2E)-2-hexenal, 2-hexanone, 3-ethyloctane, pentyl butyrate, hexyl butyrate, ethyl butyrate, 6,6-dimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]hept-2-ene-2-carbaldehyde, heptanal, 4-methoxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, isopropyl butyrate, hexyl acetate, 2-pentanyl butyrate, 2-methylbutanoic acid, butyl acetate, butyl butyrate, butyl 3-methylbutanoate, decyl butyrate, (2E)-2-hexen-1-yl butyrate, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, octyl butyrate, propyl butyrate, nonyl 2-methylpropanoate, octyl acetate, octyl hexanoate, octyl 3-methylbutanoate, ethyl decanoate, isopropyl hexanoate, ethyl valerate, and S-methyl butanethioate,
• wherein the composition does not contain a sugar or artificial sweetener and increases the perceived sweetness of the comestible without increasing the amount of natural or artificial sweetener in the comestible.

A method of producing a plant that produces an edible portion with a modified perceived sweetness relative to a comparable wild type plant, comprising:

• introgressing a gene responsible for the production of at least one volatile compound into the genome of the plant, whereby the plant produces a greater amount of the at least one volatile compound in an edible portion of the plant than in the edible portion of a comparable wild type plant, wherein the at least one volatile compound is chosen from the group consisting of:
• neral, 4-carene, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-ol, isovaleric acid, geranial, 1-penten-3-one, (E)-pent-2-en-1-al, (Z)-pent-2-en-1-al, 5-octyldihydro-2(3H)-furanone, 2-decenal, nonanal, (2E)-2-hexenal, 2-hexanone, 3-ethyloctane, pentyl butyrate, hexyl butyrate, ethyl butyrate, 6,6-dimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]hept-2-ene-2-carbaldehyde, heptanal, 4-methoxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, isopropyl butyrate, hexyl acetate, 2-pentanyl butyrate, 2-methylbutanoic acid, butyl acetate, butyl butyrate, butyl 3-methylbutanoate, decyl butyrate, (2E)-2-hexen-1-yl butyrate, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, octyl butyrate, propyl butyrate, nonyl 2-methylpropanoate, octyl acetate, octyl hexanoate, octyl 3-methylbutanoate, ethyl decanoate, isopropyl hexanoate, ethyl valerate, and S-methyl butanethioate.