Dulcin is an artificial
sweetener about 250 times sweeter than
sugar
Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose
Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...
, discovered in 1883 by the Polish chemist Józef (Joseph) Berlinerblau (27 August 1859 – 1935). It was first mass-produced about seven years later. Although it was discovered only five years after
saccharin, it never enjoyed the latter compound's market success. Nevertheless, it was an important sweetener of the early 20th century and had an advantage over saccharin in that it did not possess a bitter
aftertaste
Aftertaste is the taste intensity of a food or beverage that is perceived immediately after that food or beverage is removed from the mouth. The aftertastes of different foods and beverages can vary by intensity and over time, but the unifying fea ...
.
Early medical tests marked the substance as safe for human consumption, and it was considered ideal for
diabetics. However, an
FDA study in 1951 raised many questions about its safety, resulting in its removal from the market in 1954 after animal testing revealed
chronic toxicity. The FDA has also said that "the Federal Security Administrator regards these chemicals as poisonous substances which have no place in any food." In
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
, poisoning accidents by dulcin occurred frequently, and use of dulcin was forbidden in 1969.
Dulcin is also known by the names sucrol and valzin.
Preparation
Dulcin can be produced by the addition of
potassium cyanate to
''p''-phenetidine hydrochloride in an
aqueous solution at room temperature.
An alternate way to make dulcin is by mixing
urea
Urea, also called carbamide (because it is a diamide of carbonic acid), is an organic compound with chemical formula . This amide has two Amine, amino groups (–) joined by a carbonyl functional group (–C(=O)–). It is thus the simplest am ...
and ''p''-phenetidine hydrochloride to a mixture of
hydrochloric acid and glacial
acetic acid
Acetic acid , systematically named ethanoic acid , is an acidic, colourless liquid and organic compound with the chemical formula (also written as , , or ). Vinegar is at least 4% acetic acid by volume, making acetic acid the main compone ...
.
Toxicity
Dulcin is toxic to rats at 0.1% of the diet and above. At 0.1%, it causes a slight slowdown in growth; at 1.0%, the slowdown is evident alongside an increase in mortality and noticeable histological changes in liver, kidney, spleen, and heart.
See also
*
5-Nitro-2-propoxyaniline (P-4000), banned alongside dulcin by the FDA
References
Further reading
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External links
*{{Commons category-inline
Sugar substitutes
Ureas
Ethoxy compounds
Anilides
Phenol ethers