Sweet Compound Research Articles

Comparison of Volatile and Nonvolatile Metabolites in Black Tea under Four Second-Drying Methods Using Widely Targeted Metabolomics.

Second-drying has an impact on the development of flavor and aroma in black tea. However, the effect of the shape changes of the tea leaves during second-drying on the quality of black tea has yet to be evaluated. In this study, GC-TOFMS and UPLC-HRMS identified 411 volatile metabolites and 253 nonvolatile metabolites. Additionally, 107 nonvolatile compounds and 21 different volatiles were screened. Significant alterations (p < 0.01) were found in 18 amino acid derivatives, 17 carbohydrates, 20 catechins, 19 flavonoids, 13 phenolic acids, and 4 organic acids. The content of certain amino acids and carbohydrates correlated with the shape of black tea. Furthermore, sweet aroma compound formation was facilitated by hot-air second-drying while the remaining second-drying approaches encouraged the formation of the fruity aroma compound. The results of the study provide a theoretical basis and technical instructions for the accurate and precise processing of premium black tea.

Characterization of key sweet taste compounds in Camellia nanchuanica black tea

Camellia nanchuanica gained attention for having original tea tree characteristics and producing black tea with appealing sweetness. To better study the sweet taste of Camellia nanchuanica black tea, 30 kinds of Camellia nanchuanica black tea (NCBT) samples were classified into three types (high, middle and low sweetness) according to the differences in sweetness. A total of 844 metabolites were detected in NCBT; among them, there were 155 differential metabolites. Four differential metabolites (phloridzin, dulcitol, l-alanine, and sucrose) positively correlated with sweetness and showed higher VIP (variable importance for the projection) values (>1), which made main contributions to the sweetness of NCBT. Phloridzin and l-alanine might be the key sweet compounds of NCBT due to higher DoT (dose-over-threshold) values. Addition experiments further verified that phloridzin was the key sweet taste compound because phloridzin significantly increased the sweet taste of low sweetness samples. Notably, although NCBT24, 26, and 28 belonged to high sweetness samples, phloridzin content was lower. Based on the interactions of binary mixture, hyper-addition effects of phloridzin, dulcitol, l-alanine, and sucrose existed in NCBT24, 26 and 28.

Response of stevia (stevia rebaudiana) to copper, iron and zinc

Micronutrients play a vital role in physiological processes in organism cells. In this regard, three micronutrients including Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe) and Zinc (Zn) were imposed on Stevia growth medium, to find the Stevia growth and metabolites response to these nutrients. Five levels of Zn (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 ppm), Cu and Fe (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 ppm) were applied in three separate experiments using pots filled with a loam soil under greenhouse conditions. The micronutrients were added to the soil when plants were transplanted into the pots. The results showed that the Cu, Fe and Zn did not significantly affect the Stevia growth while Cu and Fe varied the leaf greenness index. Despite the Stevia growth, the Stevia metabolites were significantly affected by Cu, Zn and Fe. As a general result, the steviol glycosides (SVglys) of Stevia such as stevioside (Stev), rebaudioside A (Reb A) and their ratios were positively induced by Cu, Fe and Zn, compared to the control (without Cu, Fe and Zn). However, the effects of the three micronutrients were not the same and the Stevia metabolites response to these micronutrients was clearly dependent upon their concentrations. Our results showed that although Cu, Fe and Zn did not improve the Stevia growth, they remarkably increased the sweet compound in Stevia leaves, which are suggestible for more sweet compound production in Stevia.

Sugar substitute: Key facts for their use – A review

A simple, unidirectional schematic depicts the hypothesized pathways by which sugar-sweetened beverage consumption may lead to the development of chronic cardiovascular/cerebrovascular and metabolic diseases, chronic kidney disease, cancer, and gout. Sugar containing dietary foods could be replaced by the use of sugar substitutes available on the market today, both noncaloric and caloric, which have a low or even no cariogenic potential, sugar substitution is an important part of caries prevention and improving the overall health of an individual. The most common sugar substitutes used in Europe today are the caloric sweeteners xylitol, sorbitol, lycasin (hydrogenated starch hydrolysate), maltitol and mannitol and the non-caloric sweeteners accesultame-K, aspartame, cyclamate, and saccharin. They are currently replacing sugar in a wide range of products, such as sweeteners for coffee and tea, confectionery and chewing gum, medicines and soda pop. The need for a safe, palatable, non-nutritive, sweetening agent has prompted new approaches to the development of synthetic sweeteners. One interesting approach is based on the concept called “anatomical compartmentalization,” whereby the molecular weight of a sweet compound is increased to the point where no intestinal absorption occurs, thus eliminating systemic effects. Initial attempts at linking low molecular weight sweeteners to macromolecules have generally yielded products with unsatisfactory taste.

Effects of metaxenia on the carbohydrate and mogroside content and related enzyme activities in Siraitia grosvenorii fruit

The fruits of Siraitia grosvenorii have been used as a natural sweetening agent for centuries and have also been reported to aid diabetic patients. Mogroside V is the primary sweet compound in S. grosvenorii fruit. In this study, we show that different pollen sources had a direct influence on the mogroside V content in S. grosvenorii fruit. The changes in the activities of carbohydrate metabolism-related enzymes during fruit development were examined, as well as the results of linear regression analysis of mogroside V and variables such as the carbohydrate content and activities of related enzymes. This indicated that sucrose metabolism was significantly correlated with mogroside V contents, and higher sucrose accumulation results in higher mogroside V levels. In addition, our results revealed an obvious effect of metaxenia on carbohydrate accumulation, sucrose and starch metabolism-related enzyme activities, which revealed the reason for the effect of metaxenia on the accumulation of mogroside V in S. grosvenorii fruit. These results suggest that the effects of metaxenia should be considered in future breeding programs.

The Role of Black Soybean and Purple Sweet Potato Active Compound on Advanced Glycation End-Product in Streptozotocin-Induced Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Rat

Diabetic nephropathy is one of the diabetes complications attacking kidney leading to kidney damage. Hyperglycemia accompanying DM causes the increase of Ad-vanced Glycation End-Product (AGE) and Receptor Advanced Glycation End-Product (RAGE) activity, then develop kidney damage and other diabetes compli-cations. The study aimed to investigate the effect of black soybean, purple sweet potato, or their combination on the expression of AGE, RAGE, and kidney necro-sis T2DM model rats. The rats were given with high-calorie diet for five weeks and then injected with a low dose of streptozotocin (30 m/kg Body Weight) in intraperitoneal. DM rats were divided into: normal, K- (T2DM), K+ (T2DM + glibenclamide 0.6 mg/kg body weight), P1 (T2DM + black soybean), P2 (T2DM + purple sweet potato), and P3-5 Combination 1-3 (T2DM + combination of black soybean and purple sweet potato in ratio of 1 : 3, 2 : 2, and 3 : 1). DM rats were then given the treatments for thirty days. The effect of black soybean, purple sweet potato, or the combination of both was evaluated through the expression of AGE, RAGE, and necrosis of renal tubules. The changes in renal tubules histological characteristics were evaluated using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Immuno-histochemistry analysis of renal tubules was to evaluate AGE-RAGE expression after the treatments. The research results indicated that there was a significant dif-ference from the combination of black soybean and purple sweet potato in reduc-ing AGE, RAGE, and renal tubules necrosis. The BSB and PSP combination ratio of 1:1 was able to improve renal tubules, decrease the expression of AGE and RAGE towards near normal. The combination of black soybean and purple sweet potato could be used as one of the alternatives to improve kidney damage in dia-betic nephropathy.

Effect of abiotic stress on growth parameters and steviol glycoside content in Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) raised in vitro

Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) is a producer of diterpenoid steviol glycoside (SGs), which is highly sweet compound, non-toxic, non-mutagenic and has negligible effect on blood glucose. Therefore, the aim of present work was to study the effect of four chemicals (NaCl, Na2CO3, Proline and Polyethylene glycol) on growth parameters and SGs production in S. rebaudiana shoots cultured in vitro. For this, in vitro raised nodal explants of Stevia were cultured on MS medium supplemented with 2.0mgl−1 of kinetin and different concentrations of NaCl (0.05–0.20%), Na2CO3 (0.025–0.10%), Proline (2.5–10mM) and Polyethylene glycol (2.5–10%) for four weeks, and incubated at 24±1°C and 22.4μmolm−2s−1 light intensity provided by white fluorescent tubes with a photoperiod of 16h. Among all the chemicals tested, NaCl and Proline showed good growth of shoots but Na2CO3 and PEG showed poor growth in comparison to control. A significant reduction in shoot growth (i.e., shoot length, number of shoots per node and multiplication fold) was noticed with different concentrations of chemicals tested (P≤0.05). Maximum shoot length (5.83±0.01cm) was observed with 7.5mM of Proline concentration followed by 0.05% NaCl (5.45±0.08cm), 0.025% Na2CO3 (4.05±0.06cm) and 2.5% PEG (2.52±0.06cm). Stress showed better results pertaining to SGs production in stress treated in vitro plants than control. Maximum (2.60%) amount of total SGs (Stevioside and Rebaudioside A) were found with shoots treated with 0.025% Na2CO3 followed by 5.0mM Proline (1.65%), 0.10% NaCl (1.25%) and 5% PEG (1.15%), which were 3.3, 2, 1.6 and 1.5 times higher than control (0.79%) respectively. It can be concluded that, in spite of causing some growth reduction, application of chemical stress can enhance the production of SGs up to three fold compared to control plants.

Defects in the Peripheral Taste Structure and Function in the MRL/lpr Mouse Model of Autoimmune Disease

While our understanding of the molecular and cellular aspects of taste reception and signaling continues to improve, the aberrations in these processes that lead to taste dysfunction remain largely unexplored. Abnormalities in taste can develop in a variety of diseases, including infections and autoimmune disorders. In this study, we used a mouse model of autoimmune disease to investigate the underlying mechanisms of taste disorders. MRL/MpJ-Faslpr/J (MRL/lpr) mice develop a systemic autoimmunity with phenotypic similarities to human systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjögren's syndrome. Our results show that the taste tissues of MRL/lpr mice exhibit characteristics of inflammation, including infiltration of T lymphocytes and elevated levels of some inflammatory cytokines. Histological studies reveal that the taste buds of MRL/lpr mice are smaller than those of wild-type congenic control (MRL/+/+) mice. 5-Bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) pulse-chase experiments show that fewer BrdU-labeled cells enter the taste buds of MRL/lpr mice, suggesting an inhibition of taste cell renewal. Real-time RT-PCR analyses show that mRNA levels of several type II taste cell markers are lower in MRL/lpr mice. Immunohistochemical analyses confirm a significant reduction in the number of gustducin-positive taste receptor cells in the taste buds of MRL/lpr mice. Furthermore, MRL/lpr mice exhibit reduced gustatory nerve responses to the bitter compound quinine and the sweet compound saccharin and reduced behavioral responses to bitter, sweet, and umami taste substances compared with controls. In contrast, their responses to salty and sour compounds are comparable to those of control mice in both nerve recording and behavioral experiments. Together, our results suggest that type II taste receptor cells, which are essential for bitter, sweet, and umami taste reception and signaling, are selectively affected in MRL/lpr mice, a model for autoimmune disease with chronic inflammation.

Inhibitory potential of trilobatin from Lithocarpus polystachyus Rehd against α-glucosidase and α-amylase linked to type 2 diabetes

The chemical structure of the sweet compound from Lithocarpus polystachyus Rehd was identified as trilobatin on the basis of HPLC, EIS-MS and NMR analyses. The inhibitory activities of trilobatin against α-glucosidase and α-amylase were evaluated, and the inhibition mechanism was analysed with Lineweaver–Burk plots. Also the antioxidant activity evaluation of trilobatin was conducted by DPPH radical scavenging assay. Comparing with acarbose, trilobatin showed a strong inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase and a moderate inhibitory activity against α-amylase. The Lineweaver–Burk plots analysis elucidated that trilobatin inhibited the enzyme non-competitively. DPPH scavenging activity of trilobatin (IC 50 = 0.57 mg/ml) was higher than rutin (IC 50 = 0.72 mg/ml), which indicated that trilobatin had a moderate antioxidant potential. These results suggest that trilobatin is a potential effective α-glucosidase inhibitor for management of postprandial hyperglycemia with less side effect, and provide strong rationale for further animal and clinical studies.

Agrobacterium rhizogenesMediated Genetic transformation ofAbrus precatoriusL

Abrus precatorius L. known as Indian liquorice is a common deciduous vine containing sweet principle compound known as glycyrrhizin. Hence it can be used as a very good substitute for Liquorice. Genetic transformation has proved to be an effective way to enhance secondary metabolites in plant cell cultures. The transformation of Abrus precatorius L. mediated by Agrobacterium rhizogenes was studied using three bacterial strains i.e. MTCC 532, MTCCC 2364 and NCIM 5140. Putative hairy roots were obtained after the transformation. The effects of bacterial strains, bacterial concentration, acetosyringone and co-cultivation pH on transformation of Abrus were investigated. Co-cultivation with Strain MTCC 532 for 2 days with 100 µmol L -1 acetosyringone at pH 6.5 provided the optimal conditions under which transformation frequency approached 84%.

Electrostatic properties of two precursors of potent HIV-1 integrase inhibitors

compounds can give a better insight into the properties of hydrogen bonds and of other, weaker, non-covalent interactions in these systems. This can, in turn, be helpful for getting a better understanding of the conformational changes induced by temperature, pressure, or chemicals in the biopolymers built from amino acids (peptides). In the contribution we shall illustrate this by the results of recent X-ray single-crystal and X-ray powder diffraction, Raman and IR-spectroscopy studies at variable temperatures and pressures, as well as of the DSC and adiabatic calorimetry studies from 5K to the decomposition temperatures. [1] Boldyreva E.V., et. al. The structure of the inclusion complex of-cyclodextrin (-CD) with ibuprofen has been determined as part of a study of-CD complexes with non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug molecules and similar organic compounds. Ibuprofen is a hydrophobic molecule but becomes soluble in water by complexation with-CD. This complex forms dimers in the crystalline state. Very often-CD complexes crystallize as dimers linked head to head by hydrogen bonds between secondary hydroxyls. These dimers form infinite two dimensional layers in a C2 unit cell. The extended crystal structure is built up by linking together the layers in different packing modes. As well as the substantial pharmaceutical interest of describing the interaction between the drug and the CD molecule in the crystalline complex, one of our goals was to investigate how the nature of the guest and the solvent molecules influences the packing mode in the crystal, how the hydrogen bonding interactions are important in the supramolecular structure, and how order-disorder phenomena observed in analogous compounds can be explained. In these studies, we have used X-ray and neutron diffraction data, as well as X-ray diffuse scattering patterns. The results of the X-ray diffuse scattering analyses will not be described here. Here we report the first neutron diffraction structure of a dimeric-CD complex (at 15K) and the comparison with the Synchrotron X-ray structure (at 300K). New AIDS therapy developments focus on the integrase inhibition in order to block the virus replication. Quinoline derivatives are potent drugs in this novel chemotherapy [1]. These molecules are formed by a quinoline moiety connected to a hydroxylated aromatic ring through a spacer fragment. This latter plays an important role in both inhibition and toxicity of the drugs. We have carried out the study of electrostatic properties of the two main precursors. These properties are derived experimentally from high-resolution X-ray diffraction experiments and from quantum mechanics calculations at Hartree-Fock level. The topological features of the electron density of precursors are carefully analyzed. The atomic charges and the electrostatic potential are discussed to highlight the correlation between the drug activity and the electronic structure. We compare molecular geometry and interactions of new potential sweeteners which were designed using chemical modification of a known sweet compound [1] and bioisosteric replacement. We determined crystal structures of three arylsulfonylalcanoic acids and one bioisoster containing a tetrazole instead of the carboxylic group. Unfortunately, last of them occured to be bitter. However, it is not very surprising since the sweet and bitter tastes are strongly related. According to the geometrical model of glucophore given by Kier, there are three fundamental fragments of a sweet compound which interact with a sweet taste receptor [2]. A sweetener should contain a donor and an acceptor of hydrogen bond and a fragment which can be involved in hydrophobic interactions [3]. Distances between those fragments define a glucophore. However, the geometry of our sweet compounds in the crystalline state do not agree with the Kier model. We observed a pair of very strong hydrogen bonds in sweet compounds building a dimer via inversion centre whereas in tetrazole the dimeric structure does not occur. That can explain why the bioisoster is bitter.

Monatin, Its Stereoisomers and Derivatives: Modeling the Sweet Taste Chemoreception Mechanism

AbstractThe sweet natural compound monatin 1 has two stereogenic centers, and the 2S,4S absolute configuration has been attributed previously to the natural isomer. Among the four stereoisomers of monatin, three of them, particularly the 2R,4R isomer, tastes intensely sweet. The conformations of the four compounds have been studied by means of molecular modelling techniques. Both the diastereoisomeric forms show strong intramolecular hydrogen bonds which involve different functional groups and give rise to two different minimum energy conformations. The tertiary alcohol group in monatin seems to be indirectly involved in the generation of the taste, acting as an important contraint in generating the active conformation. The most important glucophores have been identified in the terminal –NH3+ and –COO– groups and in the indole ring by comparison with known topological models of sweet compounds and through the synthesis of appropriate derivatives in which some of these groups are lacking or modified. The relative affinity of each stereoisomer for its putative sweet taste receptor has been estimated semiquantitatively with the pseudoreceptor modelling technique. The predicted activity calculated with this technique is in good agreement with the experimental data and explains why the 2R,4R isomer (and not the natural 2S,4S isomer) is the sweetest of the series. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH &amp; Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005)

Monatin and Its Stereoisomers: Chemoenzymatic Synthesis and Taste Properties

AbstractThe sweet natural compound monatin 1 has two stereogenic centres and the (2S,4S) absolute configuration has been attributed to the natural isomer. We obtained all four stereoisomers as pure compounds by a six‐step synthetic sequence. The stereogenic centre at C‐4 was introduced stereoselectively by a regio‐ and enantiospecific enzymatic hydrolysis of the racemic ethyl dicarboxylate 4 using a protease from Aspergillus oryzae. The absolute configuration of the intermediate products was assigned by X‐ray diffraction of chiral derivatives. The stereogenic centre at C‐2 was introduced non‐specifically, and the resulting diastereomeric mixtures were separated by RP‐HPLC. The absolute configurations of the final products were established by comparing retention times on a chiral HPLC column with those of known samples. The four stereoisomers were submitted to tasting trials and three of them, particularly the (2R,4R) isomer, were found to be intensely sweet. A sample of natural monatin analysed under the same conditions is shown to contain all the four stereoisomers. The relative stereoisomeric content in the plant, as well as the possible isomerisation of the chiral centres during extraction and manipulation of monatin samples, are important points that need to be clarified by extensive analysis of the natural extracts. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH &amp; Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005)

Changes in aroma characteristics during the preparation of red ginseng estimated by electronic nose, sensory evaluation and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

The changes in aroma characteristics during the preparation of red ginseng were investigated by using an electronic nose equipped with metal oxide (MO) sensor arrays, sensory evaluation and gas chromatography. All the MO sensor responses for fresh ginseng were much higher than those of steamed ginseng and most MO sensor responses for red ginseng were also higher than those for steamed ginseng when analysed using the electronic nose. It was evaluated by sensory panels that fresh ginseng had strong fresh, earthy, herbaceous and floral flavour notes while steamed ginseng had only moderate earthy flavour note and red ginseng had strong fragrant, sweet and roast flavour notes. A characteristic fragrant and sweet aroma compound was isolated from red ginseng and it was identified 3-hydroxy-2-methyl-pyran-4-one. The amount level of the aroma component in Korean red ginseng headspace was significantly correlated with either the SY/LG sensor response or the SY/AA sensor response of electronic nose at 1% level. These results suggest that the electronic nose equipped with MO sensor arrays may be also available for the rapid monitoring the changes in aroma characteristics during the preparation of red ginseng.

Isovanillyl sweeteners. From molecules to receptors

Abstract Systematic modification of the structure of the sweet natural compound phyllodulcin, containing the isovanillyl glucophoric group, led to the synthesis of about 120 compounds. Features of the heterocyclic ring conferring high sweetness potency were identified. A strong increase in sweetness was obtained by the introduction of sulfur atoms in the ring and by separation of the enantiomers. Results of the quantitative structure­activity relationship (QSAR) studies on this series are reported. Application of the pseudoreceptor modeling approach afforded a three-dimensional binding site model for isovanillyl sweeteners. Extension of this methodology to a large group of structurally diverse compounds, including the commonly used sweeteners, gave a general pseudoreceptor for the sweet compounds, consisting of 16 amino acids. This pseudoreceptor, which has the peculiarity of giving a semiquantitative evaluation of the sweetness intensity, could be used as a valid tool to model the ligand­receptor interactions and to suggest some clues about the identification of a possible binding site once the receptor protein(s) are obtained.

Transglycosylation of neohesperidin dihydrochalcone by Bacillus stearothermophilus maltogenic amylase.

Neohesperidin dihydrochalcone (NHDC), a sweet compound derived from citrus fruits, was modified to a series of its oligosaccharides by transglycosylation activity of Bacillus stearothermophilus maltogenic amylase (BSMA). Maltotriose as a donor was reacted with NHDC as an acceptor to glycosylate for the purpose of increasing the solubility of NHDC. Maltosyl-NHDC was a major transglycosylation product among the several transfer products by TLC analysis. The structure of the major transglycosylation product was determined to be maltosyl-alpha-(1,6)-neohesperidin dihydrochalcone by MALDI-TOF/MS and (1)H and (13)C NMR. Maltosyl-NHDC was 700 times more soluble in water and 7 times less sweet than NHDC.

Synthesis and Structure−Activity Relationships of Sweet 2-Benzoylbenzoic Acid Derivatives

Twenty-four analogues of the sweet compound 2-(4-methoxybenzoyl)benzoic acid 1 were synthesized and tasted. The structure−sweet taste relationships were studied by means of principal component analysis and by comparison with the existing sweet receptor models. Three possible glucophores were identified, which could correspond to the sites B, E1, and E2 of the Tinti−Nofre model. Some similarities between this class of compounds and isovanillic sweeteners were found. Keywords: Sweetness; SAR (structure−activity relationships); taste

Does chemical modification of tastants merely enhance their intrinsic taste qualities?

The hypothesis that chemical modification of a sweet compound to create a new, sweeter compound merely enhances the intrinsic taste properties of the original sweetener is discussed. The detailed sensory profiles of sucrose and 4, 1′,6′-trideoxy-4, 1′,6′-trichlorogalactosucrose (sucralose) are examined to assess the validity of this hypothesis. These all show a remarkable and consistent conformity, which suggests that the sensory properties of sucralose are a direct consequence of those of its parent sweetener, sucrose. Structure-activity relationships of derivatives of sucrose further support this hypothesis, because the structural features of sucrose that are believed to be responsible for its ability to elicit a sweet taste are identical to similar structural features of sucralose.

Progress in isovanillyl sweet compounds

The so-called isovanillyl sweeteners are organic compounds containing the 3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl moiety, which seems to be essential for the sweet taste of these compounds. Most of them are heterocyclic compounds, with a free rotating isovanillyl group and one chiral carbon atom. Rigid compounds with structures mimicking some of the possible preferred conformations which can be assumed by the isovanillyl sweeteners were prepared and tasted. To establish possible correlations between chirality and taste, the enantioselective synthesis of the (−)-enantiomer of the natural sweet compound (+)-hematoxylin was performed. The sweetest among the isovanillyl compounds was modified by introducing groups apt to interact with the D site of the Nofre-Tinti receptor model. All the results are discussed on the basis of comparison with the most recent models for the sweet taste receptor.

Synthesis of 3-aryl-1,4-benzoxathianes: application to the preparation of a sweet compound

Attempts to prepare 3-phenyl-1,4-benzoxathiane by acid-catalysed ring-closure of 2-(2-hydroxyphenylthio)-2-phenylethanol gave instead 2-phenyl-1,4- benzoxathiane, via a rearrangement probably involving an episulfonium ion. The first synthesis of 3-aryl-1,4-benzoxathianes was obtained by N-bromosuccinimide-promoted oxidative rearrangement of 1,3-oxathiolanes derived from cyclohexanone. The application of this route to the synthesis of 3-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-1,4-benzoxathiane, a compound ca. 2000 times as sweet as sucrose, is reported.