Characterisation of the Sweet Taste of Three Furan Compounds in the Mainstream Smoke of Cigarettes From Anhui Province of China

ABSTRACT Sweetness significantly impacts cigarette taste perception, yet the key compounds and sensory mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study analysed mainstream smoke from four cigarettes produced in Anhui province, each exhibiting different sweetness levels. Partial Least‐Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS‐DA) identified 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural as the most influential compound for sweetness perception. To further validate the findings, sensory evaluations were conducted on furfural, 5‐methylfurfural and 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural to assess their sweet taste during smoke inhalation. Detection thresholds in air were determined as 3.98 g/m 3 for furfural, 2.72 g/m 3 for 5‐methylfurfural and 3.24 g/m 3 for 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural. Both 5‐methylfurfural and 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural enhanced sweetness intensity in cigarette smoke when incorporated into filters. Molecular docking analysis revealed that 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural exhibited the lowest binding energy with sweetness receptor proteins T1R2 and T1R3 compared to the other compounds. This study provides the first evidence that 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural is a significant sweet‐tasting compound in mainstream cigarette smoke.