A brief knowledge about pharmaceutical sweetening agents.

1. SWEETENERS
• They are mainly found in
oral dosage form and
chewable medications.
• Commonly used
sweeteners- sucrose,
glucose, sorbitol, fructose
and glycerin.
• Sorbitol, glucose,
sucrose, have limited use
in tablets, because of it’s
Hygroscopic nature.

2. POLYOLS
• These are called as sugar
replacers, sugar-free sweeteners,
sugar alcohols/ novel sugars.
• They occur naturally in plants but
also commercially be produced.
• Eg: mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol,
hydrogenated starch(Hydrolysates)
and artificial sugars.
MANNITOL
SORBITOL XYLITOL

3. MANNITOL
• Most commonly used in chewable
tablets, due to it’s less Hygroscopic
nature.
• It produces sweet cooling effect,
because of negative heat of solution.
• It is a polyol.

4. SORBITOL
• Pleasant taste.
• It is a polyol.
• Sweeting intensity- 0.6
• Caloric in nature

5. SUCROSE
• Commonly used as table sugar.
• Sweetening intensity- 1
• These are caloric.
• Standard sugar.

6. FRUCTOSE • It gives rapid onset of sweetness.
• Sweeting intensity- 1.2
• Caloric in nature.

7. D-GLUCOSE
• It is commonly referred as dextrose.
• Obtained from incomplete hydrolysis of
starch.
• It contains- dextrose, dextrin, maltose
and water.
• Extremely viscid substance.
• Sweeting intensity- 0.5-0.9
• Impart sweetness similar as honey.
• Caloric in nature.

8. SACCHARIN
• Widely used.
• It is a substitute of sucrose.
• High conc. bitter In taste,
• Low conc. Sweet in taste.
• Sodium salt of it is more palatable.
• Free of unpleasantness after taste.
• It is carcinogenic in nature, due to
cyclohexylamine formation.
• Sweeting intensity- 500
• BRAND NAME- Sweet’N Low.
• Non-caloric in nature.

9. SODIUM
CYCLAMATE
• It is banned is USA.
• It Is also carcinogenic,
due to cyclohexylamine
metabolite.
• Sweeting intensity- 30

10. ASPARTAME
• Chemical name- N-L-a-Aspartyl-L-
Phenylalanine methyl ester.
• Not having unpleasant aftertaste.
• Hydrolyzed to aspartyl phenylalanine and
diketopiperazine.
• Contraindicated to patients suffering from
phenyl ketone urea.
• Cause angioedema and urticaria.
• Sweeting intensity- 200
• Non caloric in nature.
• Brand name- NutraSweet & Equal.
•

11. SUCRALOSE
• New sweeting agent.
• Heat-stable
• Stable at wide Ph range
• Sweeting intensity- 600
• Brand name- Splenda
• Non caloric in nature.

12. ACESULPHAME-K
• Used in combination with aspartame to enhance sweeting.
• Heat stable.
• Brand name- Sunett and Sweet One.
• Sweeting intensity- 200
• Non caloric in nature.
• Monoammonium glycyrrhizinate, used in liquid oral
preparation.