Sucralose and aspartame are both synthetic sweeteners, but there are significant differences in their chemical structures and properties.
1. Chemical structure
Aspartame is composed of natural amino acids Phenylalanine, Aspartic acid and Methanol, and its chemical formula is C14H18N2O5. Aspartame decomposes into components such as phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and methanol in water, so it cannot be used for heating under high temperature conditions or for long-term storage.
Sucralose is a new type of high-intensity sweetener obtained by chlorination of sucrose. Its chemical structure is similar to that of sucrose, but some hydrogen atoms are replaced by chlorine. Its chemical formula is C12H19Cl3O8. Because the chlorine atoms in its molecule make it less susceptible to degradation and absorption by body enzymes, sucralose has no effect on blood sugar and insulin release.
2.Nature
sweetness
The sweetness of aspartame is about 200 times that of sucrose, while the sweetness of sucralose is even higher, reaching about 600 times that of sucrose. In actual use, since sucralose is more sweet, less dosage is needed to achieve the same sweetness.
thermal stability
Aspartame is unstable to high temperature and easily decomposes to produce unstable substances such as phenylalanine and aspartic acid, so it is not suitable for food processing or long-term storage under high temperature conditions.
However, sucralose is relatively stable under high temperature conditions and will not produce harmful substances, so it can be used in food processing under high temperature conditions such as baking and boiling.
metabolic capacity
Aspartame has a high solubility and can be quickly absorbed by the human body. After being metabolized by the liver in the body, it produces methyleneation and oxidative decomposition products. The corresponding metabolites in the body do not contain methanol. In addition, aspartame has high sweetness and is used in a small amount, so it will not affect health under normal intake.
Sucralose cannot be digested and absorbed in the human body, and most of it is excreted in urine, which is more stable and safer than aspartame. However, in extremely high doses, sucralose may also cause damage to the liver and stomach.
Epilogue
To sum up, although aspartame and sucralose are both synthetic high-intensity sweeteners, there are significant differences in their chemical structures and properties. In practical applications, it is necessary to select the sweetener used according to different food processing conditions and application scenarios in order to achieve the optimal effect and protect the health of consumers.
