This document discusses various natural sweeteners, including their source, characteristics, and uses. It categorizes sweeteners as nutritive or non-nutritive and outlines various naturally derived sweeteners such as stevia, glycyrrhizin, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone, thaumatin, monellins, honey, agave nectar, and xylitol. It provides details on their extraction sources and chemical properties and compares their sweetness and health effects to traditional sugars.

1. Natural sweetener
By
Mr. S. G. Laware
Asst. Prof., Dept. of Pharmacognosy,
P.R.E.S’s College of Pharmacy (For Women), Chincholi.

3. Sweeteners:
• Sweetening agents are the substances which are added to a drug
formulation to mask its bitter taste. Sugars is the most widely used
natural sweetening agents. It imparts viscosity to drug & also act as
preservatives for liquid dosage form.
• Sugars having lot of disadvantages like dental caries, high blood sugar,
high calories etc.
• There are two types of substitute which are used as sweeteners,
1. Natural sweeteners
e.g. Table sugar, Honey, Maple syrup, corn syrup, molasses.
2. Artificial sweeteners
e.g. Saccharin, Aspartame, Sucralose, Neotame, Advantame,
Cyclamates.

4. Reasons for use:
• To assist in weight loss-some people choose to limit their food energy
intake by replacing high-energy sugar or corn syrup with other
sweeteners having little or no food energy.
• Dental care-sugar substitutes are tooth-friendly, as they are not
fermented by the micro flora of the dental plaque. An example of a
sweetener that can benefit dental health is xylitol. Xylitol works to
prevent bacteria from adhering to the tooth surface, thus preventing
plaque formation and eventually decay.
• Diabetes mellitus-people with diabetes have difficulty regulating their
blood sugar levels. By limiting their sugar intake with artificial
sweeteners, they can enjoy a varied diet while closely controlling their
sugar intake.

5. • Reactive hypoglycemia-individuals with reactive hypoglycemia will
produce an excess of insulin after quickly absorbing glucose into the
bloodstream. This causes their blood glucose levels to fall below the
amount needed for proper body and brain function.
• Avoiding processed foods-individuals may opt to substitute refined
white sugar with less-processed sugars, such as fruit juice or maple
syrup.
• Cost-many sugar substitutes are cheaper than sugar. Alternative
sweeteners are often low in cost because of their long shelf-life. This
allows alternative sweeteners to be used in products that will not perish
after a short period of time.

6. Classification of Sweeteners:
e.g. Sugars e.g. Sweet protein,
Dihydro-halacone,
Terpenoid.
Sweeteners
Natural
Sweeteners
Saccharide
Sweeteners
Non-
Saccharides
Sweeteners
Artificial
Sweeteners

7. Name of the sweetener Active sweet principle Sweetness compared to
sucrose
1 Sucrose Sugar 1x
2 Erythritol Sugar alcohol 0.7x
3 Stevioside Terpenoid 250-300x
4 Glycyrrhizin Terpenoid 100x
5 Perillartine Terpenoid 400-2000x
6 Phyllodulcin Dihydroisocoumarine 300-400x
7 Thaumatin Protein 2000-10000x
8 Miraculin Protein -
9 Curculin Protein 550x
10 Glycyphyllin Dihydrohalacones 100-200x
11 Trilobatin Dihydrohalacones 400-1000x
12 Polypodoside A Steroidal saponin 600x
13 Osladin Steroidal saponin 300-3000x
14 Pterocaryosides A Steroidal saponin 50-100x

8. • On the basis of the nutritional property the sweeteners are categorized
into two nutritive and non-nutritive.
• Nutritive sweeteners provide calories or energy to the diet at about four
calories per gram. e.g. White and brown table sugars (sucrose), honey
and syrups such as maple and corn.
• Non-nutritive sweeteners are zero or low calorie alternatives to nutritive
sweeteners, such as sucrose. Non-nutritive sweeteners are much sweeter
than sugar so only small amounts are needed and are also known as high
intensity sweeteners. The common non-nutritive sweeteners approved for
use are: Aspartame, Luo han guo, Neotame, sucralose, stevioside.

9. Sweeteners from natural origin:
• Stevioside and rebaudioside
• Glycyrrhizin
• Neohesperidin Dihydrochalcone
• Thaumatin
• Monellins
• Honey
• Agave nectar
• Xylitol

10. Stevia
• Made from the leaves of the stevia plant from South America
• Zero calories
• 300x sweeter than sugar. Mixed with dextrose in packet
• Health effects: Safe for people with diabetes, Some research shows
Stevia is anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrheal & a diuretic

11. Stevioside and rebaudioside:
B.S.: It is extracted from a south American plant Stevia rebaudiana
Berrtoni (Family: Compositae)
Characteristics:
1.
2.
Disadvantages: Steviol has been reported to be mutagenic.

12. Glycyrrhizin:
B.S.: It is a mixed Ca & K salt of Glycyrrhizic acid found in Glycyrrhiza glabra
(Family: Leguminosae)
Characteristics:
1. 50x – 100x >> Sucrose, Ammonium Glycyrrhizine is 50x sweetner than
sucrose and its salt are characterized by a delayed sweeter onset.
2. Chemical constituents: Glycyrrhizic acid is a triterpenic glycoside of Beta-
Amyrin type which contain two Beta-1,2 Glycoside linked Glucoronic acid.

13. Uses: As flavoring agent & as flavor enhancing effect in food products.
Disadvantages: Causes Oedema and Hypertension. So its dose should be
200 mg per day or less.

14. Neohesperidin dihydrochalcone:
• B.S.: It is a flavonoid compound present in the bitter orange Citrus aurantium
Var amara (Family: Rutacea).
• Characteristics:
1. 330x >> Sucrose.
2. It is characterized by pronounced Menthol like after taste which limits its use.
3. It act synergistically with a no of other sweetners.
4. It has flavor enhancing system.

15. Thaumatin:
Synonym: Talin
B.S.: It is a basic protein found in the arils of the fruits of the tropical
Thaumatococcus danielli. (Family: Marantaceae)
Characteristics:
1. Highly soluble in water.
2. 3500x >> Sucrose
3. It’s sweetness show a delayed on set and long persistant liquorice like
taste.

16. Monellins:
• B.S.: It is intensly polypeptide constituent present in the fruits of tropical
plant Dioscoreophyllum cumminsii Stapf Diels (Family:
Menispermaceae)
• Characteristics:
1. 2000x >> Sucrose
2. Sweetness of the polypeptide Mmnellin is sensitive to conformation
changes, so rendering it unsuitable as normal sweetner.
• Chemical Constituents: It consists of structurally related poly-peptides
and thaumatin

17. Honey
• A natural sugar made by bees from flower nectar contains Fructose &
Glucose & tiny amounts of healthy antioxidants
• 21 calories per teaspoon
• 1-1.5x sweeter than sugar, so you can use less
• Processing: Minimal
• Health effects - Infants can contract botulism from honey

18. Agave nectar
• Made from the agave plant
• Contains mostly Fructose, some Glucose
• 20 calories/teaspoon
• Health effects – eating a lot fructose can lead to insulin resistance (Type 2
Diabetes)
• Low glycemic index

19. Xylitol
• Made from plant fiber, usually hardwood or corncobs
• Sugar alcohol
• 10 calories per teaspoon. Same sweetness as sugar
• Processing
• Health Effects:
•Fights bacteria that cause cavities Strengthens tooth
enamel,
•Reduces ear infections in children
•Toxic and life-threatening to dogs
•Low glycemic index