Glucin
Encyclopedia
Glucin is the name of an artificial sweetening agent
similar to saccharin
that was used in the early 20th century. The substance is a sodium
salt derived from coal tar. It is composed of a mixture of mono- and di-sulfonic acid
s with a chemical formula of C19H16N4. It typically appears as a light brown powder, easily soluble in water. It is insoluble in ether and chloroform. Glucin is about three hundred times sweeter than cane sugar
.
The use of glucin as a food additive
is prohibited in much of the United States
due to concerns about its health effects.
Sugar substitute
A sugar substitute is a food additive that duplicates the effect of sugar in taste, usually with less food energy. Some sugar substitutes are natural and some are synthetic. Those that are not natural are, in general, called artificial sweeteners....
similar to saccharin
Saccharin
Saccharin is an artificial sweetener. The basic substance, benzoic sulfilimine, has effectively no food energy and is much sweeter than sucrose, but has a bitter or metallic aftertaste, especially at high concentrations...
that was used in the early 20th century. The substance is a sodium
Sodium
Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal and is a member of the alkali metals; its only stable isotope is 23Na. It is an abundant element that exists in numerous minerals, most commonly as sodium chloride...
salt derived from coal tar. It is composed of a mixture of mono- and di-sulfonic acid
Sulfonic acid
Sulfonic acid usually refers to a member of the class of organosulfur compounds with the general formula RS2–OH, where R is an alkyl or aryl. The formal part of acid, HS2–OH, are formally derivatives of the "parent" inorganic compound with the formula HSO2.-Preparation:Sulfonic acid is...
s with a chemical formula of C19H16N4. It typically appears as a light brown powder, easily soluble in water. It is insoluble in ether and chloroform. Glucin is about three hundred times sweeter than cane sugar
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
.
The use of glucin as a food additive
Food additive
Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance its taste and appearance.Some additives have been used for centuries; for example, preserving food by pickling , salting, as with bacon, preserving sweets or using sulfur dioxide as in some wines...
is prohibited in much of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
due to concerns about its health effects.