Sweetness and sweeteners - Small sweet molecules

10 important questions on Sweetness and sweeteners - Small sweet molecules

What are the 4 main categories of sugar alternatives which provide sweet taste without providing caloric value?

  1. Low-calorie sweeteners aiming to tackle obesity
  2. Non-glucose-based sweeteners to diminish the contribution of sucrose to diabetes
  3. Natural sweeteners such as stevia
  4. High-potency sweeteners

Are amino-acid derived molecules more or less sweet than sucrose?

More sweet

What is a disadvantage of sweeteners?

They might also have affinity to bitter receptors, leaving a bitter after taste. Saccharin is an example of a very potent sweet molecule with bitter after taste.
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How can the bitter after taste of some sweeteners be solved?

Mixtures of sweeteners are used. The desired sweetness is built by combination of molecules, while staying below their threshold bitterness.

What do extracts from Stevia rebaudiana contain?

A mixture of steviol glycosides, which are characterised by a diterpenoid core to which various glycosyl residues are attached.

Is stevia suitable for aqueous food applications?

Yes, glycosylation of the diterpenoid skeleton creates amphiphilic molecules, which are still water-soluble.

How many times sweeter is stevioside?

250x sweeter than sucrose

Does stevioside have a bitter after-taste?

Only a very high concentrations.

What is the disadvantage of NHDC?

Onset of sweetness is slow, the taste is lingering

What is an alternative to the cultivation of plants for extraction of sweeteners?

Industrial by-products can be valorised by activating precursors to high potency sweeteners by simple chemical processing.

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