Sucralose is a commonly employed artificial sweetener that appears to destabilize protein native structures. This is in direct contrast to the bio-preservative nature of its natural counterpart, sucrose, which enhances the stability of biomolecules against environmental stress. We have further explored the molecular interactions of sucralose as compared to sucrose to illuminate the origin of th...

Stevioside, an ent-kaurene type of diterpenoid glycoside, is a natural sweetener extracted from leaves of Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni. Stevioside and a few related compounds are regarded as the most common active principles of the plant. Such phytochemicals have not only been established as non-caloric sweeteners, but reported to exhibit some other pharmacological activities also. In th...

BACKGROUND Artificial sweeteners are low-calorie substances used to sweeten a wide variety of foods. At present they are used increasingly not only by diabetics, but also by the general public as a mean of controlling the weight. This study was carried out to evaluate and compare antinociceptive activity of the artificial sweeteners, aspartame and sucrose and to study the mechanisms involved in...

Regulatory authorities worldwide have found the nonnutritive sweetener, sucralose, to be noncarcinogenic, based on a range of studies. A review of these and other studies found through a comprehensive search of electronic databases, using appropriate key terms, was conducted and results of that review are reported here. An overview of the types of studies relied upon by regulatory agencies to a...

OBJECTIVES The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) has been remarkably increasing worldwide. However, few studies have examined the effect of lifestyle intervention among subjects with MS. We investigated the effect of a six-month lifestyle modification program on the prevalence of MS and its associated biomarkers among Japanese men with MS. METHODS Subjects were randomly assigned to either...

In 2001 there were remarkable developments in the research of sweet taste receptors of mammals and insects. In mammals, T1R2 and T1R3 are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) with very long Nterminal extracellular domains, as shown in Figure 1. They have been shown to associate into a heterodimer and to function as a broadly tuned sweet receptor for various sugars, artificial sweeteners and D-am...

The purpose of this report was to provide an overview of xylitol and other polyol sweeteners and dental caries for clinicians and to discuss current applications for dental practice and potential community-based public health interventions. Xylitol, like other polyol sweeteners, is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol. Studies suggest polyols are noncariogenic. Furthermore, studies indicate that...

Since their introduction in the market, there has been much debate regarding the health effects of low and no calorie sweetners (LNCS). Therefore, through this review, we aim to establish scientific information about the most commonly used LNCS by the food industry. Key questions about uses, safety, and weight control are reviewed. Scientific evidence revised concludes that LNCS available on th...

With obesity reaching epidemic proportions in many countries around the world, the search for the causes of and potential solutions for this condition continues. It is noteworthy that the increase in the consumption of added or discretionary sugars has mirrored the dramatic rise in the prevalence of obesity over the past few decades. Although certainly not the only factor contributing to the ob...

Dopamine (DA) is believed to play a fundamental role in reward processes. Virtually all drugs of abuse activate dopaminergic systems, as do "natural" rewards such as sexual interaction and food. Sweet-tasting solutions, for example, are a well characterized natural reward. In the present experiments, we used mice that cannot make DA (DD mice) to test the hypothesis that DA is necessary for rewa...