*2.1.1 Monosaccharide polyols*

Monosaccharide alcohol is the general term for the chain – like polyalcohol obtained by reducing the carboxyl group of sugars.

#### *2.1.1.1 Sorbitol (D-glucitol)*

Sorbitol occurs naturally in cherries, plums, apples, many berries, seaweeds and algae. It is moderately sweet, relatively inexpensive and has less shelf life because of hygroscopic property.

#### **2.2 Non-nutritive sweeteners**

These are low-calorie sweeteners (referred to as non-nutritive sweeteners, artificial sweeteners or sugar calories) added to foods, yogurt, medicinal preparation, dentifrices, mouthwash and beverages to provide sweetness without adding a calorie. The non-caloric sweeteners are generally much sweeter than sucrose and can, therefore, be used in small amounts.

**301**

**Figure 2.**

*Structure of aspartame.*

*Artificial Sweeteners*

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93199*

• More economical in productivity.

material in organism)

**2.3 Artificial sweeteners**

*2.3.1 Aspartame*

products (**Figure 2**).

*2.3.1.1 Metabolism and health aspect*

• Should be resistant to heat when cooked.

• It should not be carcinogenic (causing cancer) or mutagenic (change in genetic

Aspartame is an artificial non saccharide sweetener of molecular formula. C14H18N2O5 and finds its use in food and beverages as sugar substitute. Aspartame is a methyl ester of aspartic acid/phenylalanine dipeptide and marketed under the name NutraSweet, Equal and Canderel. In 1965, Aspartame was reported and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1981 approved its use in the food

Aspartame is one of the low calorie sweetener used in low, reduced calorie foods and also used in beverages. It is also a low calorie table top sweetener used in gums, breakfast cereals and dry foods. Upon breaking Aspartame produces about 4 calories of energy per gram. On prolonged heating aspartame decomposes and therefore it cannot be used for food items involving cooking and also converts into liquid on storage. The breakdown products upon ingestion are aspartic acid, phenylalanine, methanol and further breakdown products including formaldehyde, formic acid and diketopiperazine. FDA insisted that food products with aspartame should have warning in the label that the person with the rare genetic disorder phenylketonuria should avoid ingesting aspartame. Phenylketonuria is an inborn disease associated with error of metabolism that leads to attenuated metabolism of the amino acid phenylalanine. Phenylketonuria leads to behavioral problems and mental disorders. Peoples suffering from phenylketonuria will have insufficient level of enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase which is required for the breakdown of phenylalanine [1] and as a result phenyl alanine accumulates in case of people affected with phenylketonuria. The breakdown products of aspartame like methanol, phenylalanine and aspartic acid leads to headache, blurred vision, brain tumors, eye problems, memory loss and nausea [2]. The aspartic acid one of the breakdown products of aspartame leads to excitotoxin. The aspartic acid acts like neurotransmitters

#### *2.2.1 Requirements for an ideal artificial sweetener*

