Bio-sweeteners(Sweetening agents) -Types, properties, and their applications in Dairy and Food industry

1. Bio-sweeteners
(Sweeteningagents) -Types,properties,andtheir
applicationsin Dairyand Foodindustry

2. Sweetening agents are those which either evoke sweet taste or enhance the
perception of sweet taste. Types of sweeteners:
1) Natural: extracted from natural products or have plant origin.
2) Artificial/synthetic: synthesized using chemical modifications.
Ideal properties of sweetening agents:
1) Be effective even at small concentrations.
2) Must be stable at wide range of temperature.
3) Should not lead to any diseased situation.
4) Should have low or no-colorific value.
5) Should be compatible with other ingredients.
6) Should not show batch to batch variations.
7) Should be readily available and inexpensive.
Sweetening agents are used to prepare jams, chocolates, sweets, ice-creams, cakes,

3. Classification of sweetening agents

5. Non-saccharide sweetening agents
Contain substances other than saccharides as sweet principles.
Contain terpenoids, proteins, dihydrochalcones, steroidal saponins etc. as sweet
principles.
Advantages of non-saccharide sweeteners:
a) Non carcinogenic.
b) Potent sweeteners (many times sweeter than sucrose).
c) Have very low calorific value so useful for diabetic persons.

6. Terpenoids
Steviosides: Stevia is the safest natural sweetener. It is obtained from
leaves of Stevia Rebaudiana. It is 300 times sweeter than sucrose.
Rebiana: It is sweeter and more delicious than stevioside. It provides
zero calories and has sweet taste with no undesirable taste
characteristics.
Glycyrrhizin: It is pentacyclic triterpenoid obtained from roots of plant
Glycyrrhiza glabra. It is widely used as natural sweetener and
flavouring additive. It is also used in pharmaceutical industry.
Abrusosides: These are triterpene glycoside present in leaves of plant
Abrus precatorius. Leaf extract is commonly used for sweetening foods,
beverages and medicines.

7. Dihydro Isocoumarins
Phyllodulcin: It is obtained from plant Hydrangea macrophylla. It
is 300-400 times sweeter than sucrose.

8. Protein sweeteners
Thaumatin: Sweet protein present in fruits of plant Thaumatococcus
danielli. It elicits sweet taste which is 1000 times sweeter than sucrose
depending upon purity and concentration. It is effective in masking bitter
taste associated with pharmaceuticals. It also masks off-flavour.
Miraculin: It is also known as taste modifying protein as it modifies sour
taste into sweet taste. It is present in red berries of Richardella dulcifica.
Curculin: It is isolated from plant Curculigo latifolia. It also modifies
sour taste into sweet taste.
Monellin: Present in red berries of plant Dioscoreophyllum cumminsii. It
is 3000 times sweeter than sucrose. It looses its sweetness when heated
above 50˚C.

9. Dihydrochalcones
Glycyphyllin: It is present in almost all parts of plant Smilax glycyphylla.
It is mainly propagated through rhizomes and tuberous roots. It is 100-
200 times sweeter than sucrose.
Trilobatin: It is obtained from plant Symplococcus paniculata.
Commonly known as sweet leaf. It is 400-1000 times sweeter than
sucrose. It also shows antioxidative activity.

10. Steroidal saponins
Polypodoside A: It is obtained from plant Polypodium glycyrhizza.
Osladin: It is obtained from fern Polypodium vulgare. It is 300-3000
times sweeter than sucrose.
Strogin: Obtained from leaves of Staurogyne mergunsis.

11. Polyol sweeteners
Xylitol: It is found in fruits and vegetables. It has many advantages as
food ingredient. It improves colour and taste of preparations. It also
limits obesity. It provides stable taste for longer duration. It is also used
as stabilizing agent.
Erythritol: It is white crystalline powder that is odourless with sweet
taste similar to sucrose. It is used in production of sugar free foods. It has
high digestive tolerance, safe for people with diabetes and does not
promote tooth decay.