Category: sweetener
Aliases: E959, NHDC, Neohesperidin DC, Neohesperidin dihydrochalcone
A semi-synthetic dihydrochalcone glycoside made by alkaline hydrogenation of neohesperidin from bitter (Seville) orange. It is roughly 1,000-1,800x sweeter than sucrose with a slow onset and a lingering cooling, menthol/licorice-like aftertaste, acting as an agonist of the sweet T1R2/T1R3 receptor; at sub-sweetness levels it also masks bitterness and enhances flavour/mouthfeel. As a polar rhamnoglucoside it is poorly absorbed in the small intestine and passes to the colon, where gut microbiota hydrolyse the sugar moieties and ring-open the aglycone to small phenolics (e.g. hesperetin dihydrochalcone, 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid) that are absorbed and excreted; it contributes negligible calories and is non-glycaemic.