Emerging natural and high-phenolic sweet substances: A review

Emerging high-phenolic sweeteners impart a sweet taste to foods and beverages, and are desirable sugar alternatives. Most refined sugars have a low antioxidant content due to polyphenol degradation occurring during sugar refining. Natural sweeteners such as honey, molasses, and dark brown sugar possess moderate to high phenolic content. Other phytochemicals found in natural sweeteners are carotenoids, organic acids, and terpenoids. Additionally, molasses and syrups synthesised from anthocyanin-rich fruits and roots contain anthocyanins apart from flavonoids. Non-nutritive sweeteners, such as sugar alcohols, are low in calories besides their sweet taste. Sweet proteins, dihydrochalcones, phenolics, and terpenoid derivatives are emerging sweeteners. These sweet substances are effective antioxidants that could help reduce oxidative stress in the human body although the amount ingested is usually low. The present review emphasised specific natural, high-phenolic, and other sweet compounds, and examined the antioxidative characteristics of these sweeteners. The risk of excessive ingestion of these sweet substances is yet to be proven.