title: Interpretation of psychophysics response curves using statistical physics.
abstract: 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 RM 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.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche de Physique Quantique, Faculté des Sciences de Monastir, Tunisia. Electronic address: knanisalah@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Knani
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche de Physique Quantique, Faculté des Sciences de Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khalfaoui
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche de Physique Quantique, Faculté des Sciences de Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hachicha
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Chimie Physique Industrielle, UMR FARE 664, Université de Reims Champagne Ardenne, Faculté des Sciences, BP 1039, F-51687 Reims Cedex 2, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mathlouthi
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche de Physique Quantique, Faculté des Sciences de Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ben Lamine
mesh_terms: D019277:Entropy; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010825:Physics / Q000379:methods*; D011601:Psychophysics / Q000379:methods*; D013649:Taste
keywords: Entropy; Psychophysical curves; Statistical physics; Taste