Title: Alternative Sweeteners

192 Goldsmith and Merkel
35 days, the level of infection of S. mutans was determined and the sulcal caries
scored. Rats fed sucralose had a similar number of total viable flora; however,
the level of S. mutans of the total viable flora was decreased by up to 20-fold
compared with the sucrose control. Sucralose-consuming rats had less than 50%
of the sulcal caries evident in the sucrose control.
Rats were desalivated and inoculated with S. mutans and Actinomyces viscosus
and fed diets that contained either 56% sucrose or sucralose at 93 mg/100
g. The number of coronal lesions did not differ significantly among groups, but
the severity of the lesions was significantly lower after 35 days of feeding the
sucralose diet compared with the sucrose control.
Substitution of sucralose for sucrose resulted in substantially fewer lingual
and proximal lesions. Although similar levels of root surface exposures were
achieved in the test and control diet, only rats fed sucralose remained free of root
surface caries. These data show that sucralose is noncariogenic (9).
In a second study, it was demonstrated that when sucralose was the sole
source of carbon, the growth of 10 strains of oral bacteria and plaque could not
be supported. When sucralose was incorporated in a liquid medium containing
glucose or sucrose, all organisms tested displayed similar acid production compared
with a control without sucralose. Sucralose was shown, using 14 C-labeled
sucralose, to inhibit the formulation of the glucan and fructan polymers found
in plaque. These data show that oral bacteria do not metabolize sucralose and that
sucralose has a noncompetitive and reversible inhibitory action on the enzymes
necessary to synthesize glucan and fructan polymers (10). The results of these
two studies demonstrate that sucralose is noncariogenic and will not contribute
to the development of caries.
IV. CHEMICAL AND STABILITY CHARACTERISTICS
OF SUCRALOSE
A. Physicochemical Characteristics of Sucralose
Physicochemical characteristics of sucralose that have particular relevance to the
potential use of this sweetener in food and beverage applications have been evaluated.
Physiochemical properties, such as solubility, are important to understand,
because they have an impact on how a food ingredient can be used in the food
manufacturing environment.
B. Solubility
Solubility was measured in a thermostatically controlled Wheaton jacketed glass
vessel. The temperature range studied was 20°–60°C. As Fig. 4 shows, sucralose