Carbohydrates and Biomolecules

Neotame is 7,000 to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar. It was approved for use as a general-purpose sweetener by the FDA in 2002.

The degree of sweetening is given by the comparison of sweetening agent with sucrose. Cyclamate is 30 times sweeter than sugar.

P. Sucralose is a trichloro derivative of sucrose. Its appearance and taste is like sugar. Its sweetness value is 600. Q. Aspartame is a methyl ester of dipeptide formed from aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Its sweetness value is 100. R. Acesulfame-K is a synthetic compound that acts as a synergist with other sweeteners. Its sweetness value is 200.

An artificial sweetener is a sugar substitute and chemically synthesized. These are added to some foods to make them taste sweet. For e.g.,  acesulfame-K, sucralose, alitame, saccharin, etc. Xylitol is a white odourless crystalline powder that has been used as a sweetening agent in food for over 40 years. The substance occurs naturally in many fruits and vegetables. Sorbitol occurs naturally in various fruits and berries. First discovered in 1872, it is today commercially produced by the hydrogenation of glucose and is available in both liquid and crystalline form. Since xylitol and sorbitol occur naturally, they represent natural sweetener agents.

Aspartame is a dipeptide. It is a compound of two amino acids joined together (aspartic acid and phenylalanine). Only a very small amounts are needed for sweetening purposes. Ortho-sulphobenzimide, also called saccharin, is the first popular artificial sweetening agent. Sucralose is a trichloro derivative of sucrose.

Sucralose is a trichloro derivative of sucrose. Its appearance and taste are like sugar. It is stable at cooking temperature. It does not provide calories and thus, used in the making of sweets for diabetic patients.

Sucralose is a trichloro derivative of sucrose. Its appearance and taste are like sugar. It is stable at cooking temperature.

Monellin, is a sweet protein and was discovered in 1969 in the fruit of the West African shrub known as the serendipity berry (Dioscoreophyllum cumminsii). Monellin has the sweetness value of 3000.

A sugar substitute is a food additive that duplicates the effect of sugar in taste,. Some sugar substitutes are natural and some are synthetic. Those that natural are in general, called natural sweeteners. Examples are - Pentadin, xylitol,  etc. Those that are not natural and obtained by artificially, in general are called artificial sweeteners. Examples are - alitame, sucralose, glucin, dulcin, etc.

P. Thaumatin is a low-calorie sweetener and flavour modifier. The thaumatins were first found as a mixture of proteins isolated from the katemfe fruit (Thaumatococcus daniellii Bennett) of west Africa. Its sweetness value is 2000. Q. A mogroside is a compound, and constitutes of glycoside of cucurbitane derivatives. They are found in certain plants, such as the fruit of the gourd vine (Siraitia grosvenorii). Its sweetness value is 300. R. Curculin is a sweet protein that was discovered and isolated in 1990 from the fruit of Curculigo latifolia. It has a  sweetness value of 550. Mabinlins are sweet-tasting proteins extracted from the seed of Mabinlang (Capparis masaikai Levl.). Mabinlin has the sweetness value of 100.

Honey contains approx. 38% levulose.

The disaccharides are most abundant oligosaccharides in the cells. They are called double sugars. Biologically important double sugars are lactose, maltose and sucrose.

Amylase is an enzyme that breaks down carbohydrates into simpler sugars like maltose. It is produced in the salivary glands and pancreas, playing a crucial role in digestion by converting starch into sugars that the body can absorb. Option A incorrectly identifies it as a chemical base for paints, while B wrongly calls it a disease, and C is unrelated.

Honey primarily contains two simple sugars: fructose (about 38%) and glucose (about 31%). Lactose is milk sugar, galactose is another monosaccharide but not typically listed as a main component of honey.