Sweet proteins--potential replacement for artificial low calorie sweeteners

Abstract

Exponential growth in the number of patients suffering from diseases caused by the consumption of sugar has become a threat to mankind's health. Artificial low calorie sweeteners available in the market may have severe side effects. It takes time to figure out the long term side effects and by the time these are established, they are replaced by a new low calorie sweetener. Saccharine has been used for centuries to sweeten foods and beverages without calories or carbohydrate. It was also used on a large scale during the sugar shortage of the two world wars but was abandoned as soon as it was linked with development of bladder cancer. Naturally occurring sweet and taste modifying proteins are being seen as potential replacements for the currently available artificial low calorie sweeteners. Interaction aspects of sweet proteins and the human sweet taste receptor are being investigated.

Figure 1

Diagrammatic representation of the T1R2-T1R3 receptor showing possible stabilization by binding of a sweet protein to a secondary binding site on the surface of free form II. The sweet protein is represented in red on the left part of free form II, preventing it reverting to free form I. (adapted from references 52 and 54)