Voluntary intake of non-caloric sweetener drives conditioned bottle-position preference in mice

The present study investigated whether saccharin, a non-caloric sweetener, induces conditioned bottle-position preference in mice. In a two-bottle preference test, the mice initially preferred water from a specific side. When saccharin was introduced on the opposite side, the mice showed increased total intake and a preference for the position of the saccharin bottle. After saccharin removal, the preference for the saccharin-associated position persisted for one day but disappeared by the next day. These findings suggest that saccharin intake drives associative learning between its presence and bottle position, influencing subsequent decision-making and motivation to consume from the previously saccharin-associated position.