Multiscale Coupling From Mastication to Retronasal Aroma Perception: The PG-DTCFN Model and Multiphysics Simulation
Che Shen1, Xiongfeng He1, Zihao Li1
1Engineering Research Center of Bio-process, Ministry of Education, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China.
Advanced Science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)
|July 17, 2026
Summary
This study reveals how grilling affects food aroma release and perception. It models retronasal olfaction from chewing to brain responses, offering a new framework for flavor science research.
Area of Science:
- Flavor Science
- Neuroscience
- Food Science
Background:
- Retronasal olfaction is key to food flavor perception.
- Mechanisms linking oral processing to brain activity are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the multiscale mechanisms of retronasal olfaction.
- To develop a unified framework for studying flavor perception from bolus release to neural response.
Main Methods:
- Utilized grilled lamb skewers as a model system.
- Integrated multi-dimensional data with multiphysics simulations.
- Employed electroencephalogram (EEG) analysis for neural encoding and cross-modal integration.
Main Results:
- Grilling time impacts bolus properties and aroma release kinetics.
- Characteristic volatile compounds are enriched in the olfactory cleft during chewing.
- EEG data revealed distinct neural patterns for isolated aroma versus integrated flavor perception, with specific brain region coupling.
Conclusions:
- Proposed a three-stage framework for retronasal olfaction from peripheral input to reward-associated cortical responses.
- Developed a physics-guided network for predicting aroma intensity and simulations for the chewing-to-nasal transport process.
- Pioneered a transferable methodological paradigm for flavor science research.
