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 Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na (from Latin ''natrium'') and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal. Sodium is an alkali metal, being in group 1 of the periodic table. Its only stable iso ...

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantitie ...

derived from coal tar. It is composed of a mixture of mono- and di-

sulfonic acid In organic chemistry, sulfonic acid (or sulphonic acid) refers to a member of the class of organosulfur compounds with the general formula , where R is an organic alkyl or aryl group and the group a sulfonyl hydroxide. As a substituent, it is kn ...

s with a chemical formula of C₁₉H₁₆N₄.{{cite book, title=Food Inspection and Analysis: For the Use of Public Analysts, Health Officers, Sanitary Chemists, and Food Economists, first=Albert Ernest, last=Leach, year=1913, publisher=Chapman & Hall, page=855 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 Sucrose, a disaccharide, is a sugar composed of glucose and fructose subunits. It is produced naturally in plants and is the main constituent of white sugar. It has the molecular formula . For human consumption, sucrose is extracted and refined ...

. The use of glucin as a

food additive Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance taste, appearance, or other sensory qualities. Some additives have been used for centuries as part of an effort to preserve food, for example vinegar (pickling), salt (salt ...

is prohibited in much of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

due to concerns about its health effects.

References

Sugar substitutes