A DIPEPTIDE SWEETENING COMPOSITION AND ITS USE FOR SWEETENING FOOD, BEVERAGES OR PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITIONS

Abstract: The invention relates to a dipeptide sweetening com­ position, which comprises (a) 100% by wt. of dipeptide sweetener and (b) at least one kind of flavoring agents, in an amount sufficient to impart the tasting strength equal to that of 10 to 200% by wt. of monosodium L-glutamate based upon the weight of the dipeptide sweetener, selected from the group consisting of sodium glutamate, sodium inosine-5′-­ phosphate, sodium guanosine-5′-phosphate and sodium aspartate. This sweetening composition shows a greatly improved sweetness compared with dipeptide sweeteners alone and may be used for all sweetening purposes, such as sweeten­ ing food, beverages or pharmaceutical compositions.

Description: A DIPEPTIDE SWEETENING COMPOSITION AND ITS USE FOR SWEETENING FOOD, BEVERAGES OR PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITIONS The present invention relates. to a dipeptide sweetening composition. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with a dipeptide sweetening composition having a strength and a roundness of taste like sucrose, the sweetness of which is improved over that of dipeptide sweeteners. alone. Dipeptide sweeteners such as c-L-aspartyl-L-phenyl-alanine- methylester are generally known as sweetening agents having a satisfying sweetness characterized by a clear initial sweet taste without an unpleasa-nt bitter after-taste like saccharin. Problems have arisen, however by the fact, that the sweetness of dipeptide sweeteners does not last as long as that of sucrose, that they show monotonuous sweetness without full-bodyness and, moreover, tend to lack roundness in their taste quality. Dipeptide sweeteners could find great commercial application especially as low-caloric sweeteners, since the intensity of sweetness of dipeptide sweeteners is about 50 to 200 times or more of that of sucrose and they have no discernible unpleasant aftertaste like saccharin and other synthetic sweetening agents. There is a continuous need therefore for a dipeptide sweetening composition which can be substituted for sucrose and which has almost the same sweetness as sucrose. Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a dipeptide sweetening composition which has a more satisfactory quality of sweetness than that of dipeptide sweeteners alone. Another object of the present invention is to provide a low-caloric dipeptide sweetening composition having a sucrose-like sweetness for various foods and beverages. According to the present invention it has now been found that the quality in sweetness of dipeptide sweeteners can be significantly improved over that of dipeptide sweeteners alone by the co-existence of at least one kind of flavoring agents in an amount sufficient to impart a taste strength equal to that of 10 to 200 % by wt. of monosodium L-glutamate (MSG) based upon the weight of the dipeptide sweeteners, selected from the group consisting of sodium glutamate, sodium inosine-5'-phosphate (IMP), sodium guanosine-5'-phosphate (GMP) and sodium aspartate. Preferred embodiments of the invention may be described as follows. A dipeptide sweetener used in the composition of the present invention is a-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine-methyl- ester (AP) or a-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine-ethylester. Sodium glutamate, sodium inosine-5'-phosphate, sodium guanosine-5'phosphate and sodium aspartate are used for the composition as flavoring agents. In the preparation of the sweetening composition of the present invention, generally 10 to 200 % by wt., preferably 75 to 125 8 by wt. of MSG is employed based upon the dipeptide sweetener, or other flavoring agents alone or in combination with MSG are used in an amount sufficient to impart a strength of taste equal to the above defined amount of MSG alone. For the combined use of MSG and IMP and/or GMP, the amount of IMP and/or GMP can be given, for instance, by the following formul (Yamaguchi S.; J. Food Sci., 32 (473) 1967 and Yamaguchi et al.; Nippon Nogeikagaku Kaishi 42 (6) 1968) V = (Y - U) / 1218U (FORMULA I) V'= (Y --U) / 2800U (FORMULA II) V"= (P + Q) (Y - U) / 1218U(P + 3Q) (FOIULA III) ( U; concentration(g/dll of MSG in a solution containing MSG and IMP, MSG and GMP or MSG, IMP and GMP Y: concentration(g/dll of MSG in a solution containing MSG alone V: concentration(g/dl) of IMP in a solution containing ¯ !4SG and IMP V': : concentration(g/dl) of GMP in a solution containing MSG and GMP V": concentlation(g/dll of IMP and GMP in a solution containing MSG, IMP and GMP P: IMP /(IS T GMP) Q: GMP /(IMP + GMP) A composition which contains flavoring agents having a tasting strength of less than 10 % by wt. of that of MSG based on the dipeptide sweetener, shows a pronounced tendency of lacking fulness of its sweetness compared with sucrose. Inversely, if the composition contains more than 200 % by wt of MSG the sweetness becomes dim and the taste as a whole becomes heavy and inharmonious. The dipeptide sweetening composition of the present invention can be used in any form such as powder, syrup, granules or tablets. Further, it may be possible that it comprises a dipeptide sweetener in the form of powder, tablets, syrup and the like coexisting with flavoring agents in any form such as powder, granules or liquid. The sweetening composition according to the invention may be used as a sweetener for all kinds of food, beverages or pharmaceutical compositions. Typical examples for the use of the present dipeptide sweetening composition are table-use seasonings, sweetening materials for bread, deserts, cakes, candies, chocolate, chewing-gum, cookies, ice-cream, sherbet or puddings, milk products or their substitutes such as coffee-whitener or whipped topping, beverages such as powdered juice or condenced juice and so on. Having generally described this invention, a further understanding can be obtained by reference to certain specific examples which are provided by way of illustration and not by way of limitation. EXAMPLE 1 Dipeptide Sweetening Composition (A) AP 50 part by weight MSG 50 A sweetening solution was prepared by dissolving 0.1 g of the dipeptide sweetening composition (A) in one dl of water. Separately, a solution of AP was prepared by dissolving 0.05 g of AP in one dl of water (Control). The two solutions were organolepticly tested by a panel of 20 members who had been specially trained for this kind of test. The panel test was performed by the paired method with the solutions. The results obtained are shown in Table 1. Table 1 EMI6.1 <tb> <SEP> Solution <SEP> containing <SEP> Solution <SEP> containing <tb> <SEP> the <SEP> composition <SEP> (A) <SEP> AP <SEP> alone <tb> <SEP> *** <tb> Choice <SEP> 19 <tb> Evaluation <SEP> Sweetness <SEP> having <SEP> a <SEP> Characteristic <SEP> sweet <tb> <SEP> thickness <SEP> and <SEP> round- <SEP> ness <SEP> of <SEP> AP <SEP> lacking <tb> <SEP> ness <SEP> morç <SEP> sinilar <SEP> thickness <tb> <SEP> to <SEP> sucrose <SEP> than <SEP> AP <SEP> alone <tb> *** There is a significant difference with 0.1% of risk ratio. EXAMPLE 2 Dipeptide Sweetening Composition (B) AP t parts by eight MSG 3 IMP 1 Cream Powder 400 ("MARIM" produced by Ajinomoto Co., Inc.) Coffee solution was prepared by dissolving coffee powder in 150 ml of hot water, and 4.0 g of the dipeptide sweetening composition (B) was added to the solution. As a control, 0.04 g of AP and 4 g of cream powder ("MARIM") was added to the coffee solution. The two kinds of cbffee were subjected to organoleptic testing in the same manner as described in Example 1. rhe results obtained are shown in Table 2. Table 2 EMI8.1 <tb> <SEP> Coffee <SEP> containing <tb> <SEP> the <SEP> dipeptide <SEP> sweet- <SEP> Control <tb> <SEP> ening <SEP> composition(B) <tb> Choice <SEP> 16 <SEP> 4 <tb> Evaluation <SEP> round <SEP> sweetness <SEP> monotonuous <SEP> sweetness <tb> * There is a significant difference with 59 of risk ratio. EXAMPLE 3 Dipeptide Sweetening Composition (C) AP 60 parts by weight MSG 40 Boiled burdock was prepared by boiling 250 g of sliced burdock with 200 cc of water and 15 cc of sake for 5 minutes and then acting 0,1 g of the dipeptide sweetenfrg composition (C) to the boiled burdock and boiling again forl5 minutes. Separately, boiled burdock was prepared by the same ,anner described above using 0.06 g of AP for the dipeptide sweetening composition (C) (Control). The two boiled samples of burdock were organoleptically tested by a panel of 10 members who had been specially trained for this kind of test. The panel test was performed by scoringirethcd. The results obtained are shown in Table 3. Table 3 EMI9.1 <tb> <SEP> Boiled <SEP> burdock <SEP> con <tb> <SEP> taining <SEP> the <SEP> dipeptide <SEP> Control <tb> <SEP> sweetening <SEP> composition(C) <tb> * <SEP> <tb> Mark <SEP> 5.0 <tb> (mean <SEP> value) <SEP> 6.9 <tb> Evaluation <SEP> harmanized <SEP> with <SEP> inharmonious <tb> <SEP> a <SEP> strong <SEP> sweetness <SEP> sweetness <SEP> can <tb> <SEP> be <SEP> perceived <tb> * on the basis of 10 points EXAMPLE 4 Dipeptide Sweetening Composition (D) AP 8 parts by weight MSG 8 Sodium aspartate 16 Hot black tea was prepared by dissolving 0:32 g of the dipeptide sweetening composition (D) and 2 g of"MARIM" in 130 ml of black tea. As a control, hot black tea was prepared by dissolving 12 g of sugar and 2 g of "MARIM" in 130 ml of black tea. The two samples of black tea were organoleptically tested in the same manner as described in Example 1. The results obtained are shown in table 4. Table 4 EMI10.1 <SEP> Hot <SEP> black <SEP> tea <SEP> contai <SEP> ning <SEP> the <SEP> dipeptide <SEP> Control <tb> Sweetening <SEP> composition(D) <tb> Choice <SEP> 16 <SEP> 4 <tb> <SEP> Evaluation <SEP> rounded <SEP> sweetness <SEP> astringency <tb> <SEP> can <SEP> be <SEP> percei <SEP> ved <tb> * There is a significant difference with 5% of risk ratio. Having now fully described this invention, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many changes and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention set forth herein.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A dipeptide sweetening composition, comprising (a) 100 % by wt. of dipeptide sweetener and (b) at least one kind of flavoring agents, in an amount sufficient to impart the tasting strength equal to that of 10 to 200 % by wt. of monosodium L-glutamate based upon the weight of the dipeptide sweetener, selected from the group consisting of sodium glutamate, sodium inosine-5'phosphate, sodium guanosine-5'-phosphate and sodium aspartate. 2. The dipeptide sweetening composition of claim 1, wherein the amount of ingredient (b) is sufficient to impart the tasting strength equal to that of 75 to 125 % by wt. of monosodium L-glutamate based upon the weight of the dipeptide sweetener 3. The use of a dipeptide sweetening composition of any of the claims 1 or 2 for sweetening food, beverages or pharmaceutical compositions.

Inventors: OKADA, YUZO
Applicants: AJINOMOTO CO., INC.
Application year: 1981
Main classification: A23L1
IPC codes: A23L1