Ligustrum lucidum and its derivatives for enhancing sweetness

Abstract

The invention provides the use of ligustri glycosides or derivatives thereof for enhancing the sweetness of a sweet taste modifier and for reducing the amount of the sweet taste modifier in consumer products.

Description

Background of the Invention

[0002] Reducing the sugar content in food and beverages has become an inevitable requirement in the food industry. Food and beverage manufacturers usually use non-caloric high-intensity sweetness modifiers, such as rebaudioside A (Reb A), aspartame, saccharin, glycosylated steviol glycosides, etc. to partially or completely replace sugar. However, these sweetness modifiers may exhibit undesirable taste attributes, such as delayed onset of sweetness, bitter and astringent aftertaste, and lack of fullness and mouthfeel. Therefore, sweetness enhancers have become valuable tools that reduce the use of sugar and / or sweetness modifiers to achieve the desired sweetness intensity and mouthfeel while reducing off-flavors.

[0003] Sweetness enhancers have been described in the prior art. For example, WO 2013 / 143822 teaches the use of adenosine as a sweetness enhancer for certain sugars; EP 2606747 describes the use of deoxycholic acid or its derivatives for enhancing the sweetness of consumer products; WO 2013 / 077668 describes the sweetness enhancing effect of polysaccharides or glycopeptides derived from soybean paste; WO 2012 / 107203 teaches the use of nobiletin or its derivatives or hydrates as sweeteners or sweetness enhancers; WO 2009 / 023975 describes the use of isomogroside V as a sweetener and sweetness enhancer; US 2008 / 0242740 teaches aromatic compositions of alkaneamides with hesperidin and / or 4-hydroxydihydrochalcone for enhancing the perception of sweetness; and WO 2007 / 014879 and WO 2007 / 107596 teaches the use of hesperetin and 4-hydroxydihydrochalcone for enhancing the sweetness of sweet substances or the sweet olfactory impression of flavoring agents, respectively. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention provides a method for enhancing the sweetness of a sweet taste modifier by adding an olfactory effective amount of ligustrucin or its derivatives.

[0005] Ligustrum lucidum and its derivative, 2'-hydroxyligustrum lucidum, are represented by the following formula:

[0006]

[0007]

[0008] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method for enhancing the sweetness of a sweet taste modifier, comprising the step of adding an olfactory effective amount of ligustrucin or a derivative thereof.

[0009] In another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a method of enhancing the sweetness of a sweet taste modifier comprising the step of adding an olfactory effective amount of Carica papaya leaf extract.

[0010] In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a composition comprising a sweet taste modifier and an olfactory effective amount of ligustrucin or a derivative thereof.

[0011] In another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a composition comprising a sweet taste modifier and an olfactory effective amount of a papaya leaf extract.

[0012] In another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a consumable product comprising a sweet taste modifier and an olfactory effective amount of ligustrucin or a derivative thereof.

[0013] In another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a consumable comprising a sweet taste modifier and an olfactory effective amount of a papaya leaf extract.

[0014] These and other embodiments of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the specification below. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Ligustrum lucidum, [3-(carboxymethylene)-2-(β-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-3,4-dihydro-5-(methoxycarbonyl)]-2H-pyran-4-acetic acid-α-[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl] ester, and its derivative 2'-hydroxyligustrum lucidum are natural components of Ligustrum lucidum Ait. and Ligustrum japonicum. 2'-Hydroxyligustic acid has also been reported in Cyperus and olive (Li et al., Molecules (2017), 22(5):689; Gao et al., Records of Natural Products (2015), 9(3):323-328; Kikuchi et al., Yakugaku Zasshi (1985), 105(2):142-147; Gao et al., Chemistry of Natural Compounds (2017), 53(3):553-554; Cheng et al., Article in Asian Journal of Chemistry (2014), 26(13):3967-3970; Rubio-Senent et al., Journal of agricultural and food chemistry (2013), 61(6):1235-1248).

[0017] Ligustrum lucidum has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years and can be used to boost the liver and kidneys (Hu et al., Oncology Reports (2014), 32 (3): 1037-1042). In Europe, China and Japan, other varieties such as Ligustrum liukiuense, Ligustrum lucidum, Ligustrum morrisonense, Ligustrum umpricei and Ligustrum sinense are also widely used as tea or herbal medicine (Wu et al. Food Chemistry (2011), 127 (2), 564-571). Extracts of Ligustrum sinense were also evaluated in the combined treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA01 biofilm formation with gentamicin sulfate (Yang et al. Journal of environmental biology (2013), 34 (2 Spec No), 451-457). Therefore, it has been proposed but not yet proven that 2'-hydroxyligustic acid may have antioxidant function (Gao et al., Records of Natural Products (2015), 9(3): 323-328; Gao et al., Chemistry of Natural Compounds (2017), 53(3): 553-554). However, the function of ligustic acid has not been reported or even proposed.

[0018] In the present invention, Ligustrum lucid and 2'-hydroxyligustrum lucid were identified for the first time in the genus Carica. In addition, Ligustrum lucid and 2'-hydroxyligustrum lucid were found to have unexpected advantageous uses in food. In particular, Ligustrum lucid and 2'-hydroxyligustrum lucid, their salts or mixtures thereof have been found to enhance the sweetness of sweet taste modifiers without undesirable off-flavors.

[0019] Therefore, the present invention provides a method for increasing the sweetness of a sweet taste modifier and reducing the amount of the modifier used in a consumable product using ligustrucin, 2'-hydroxyligustrucin, a salt thereof or a mixture thereof.

[0020] The term "liquiroglucosidic acid or its derivatives" should be understood to mean liquiroglucosidic acid, 2'-hydroxyliquiroglucosidic acid, salts thereof or mixtures thereof.

[0021] In the present invention, ligustrin acid and 2'-hydroxyligustrin acid are commercially available and may also be in the form of isolated and purified plant extracts, such as Ligustrum lucidum,Such as Taiwan Ligustrum (Ligustrum amamianum), Ligustrum amurense, Ligustrum angustum, Ligustrum australianum, Ligustrum chenaultii, Ligustrum compactum, Ligustrum confusum, Ligustrum delavayanum, Ligustrum expansum, Ligustrumgracile, Ligustrum henryi, Ligustrum ibota, Ligustrumindicum, Ligustrum japonicum, Ligustrum leucanthum, Ligustrum lianum, Ligustrum liukiuense, Ligustrum longitubum, Ligustrum lucidum, Ligustrum massalongianum, Ligustrum micranthum, Ligustrummicrocarpum, Ligustrum morrisonense, Ligustrumobovatilimbum, Ligustrum obtusifolium, Ligustrumovalifolium, Ligustrumpedunculare, Ligustrum pricei, Ligustrum punctifolium, Ligustrum quihoui, Ligustrum retusum, Ligustrum robustum, Ligustrum sempervirens, Ligustrum sinense, Ligustrum strongylophyllum, Ligustrum tenuipes, Ligustrumtschonoskii, Ligustrum vulgare, Ligustrum xingrenense, and Ligustrum yunguiense); Cyperus,Such as Cyperus rotundus, Olea such as Olea europaea; and papaya, such as Carica baccata, Caricacandamarcensis, Carica candicans, Carica caudata, Carica cauliflora, Caricacestriflora, Carica chilensis, Carica crassipetala, Carica cundinamarcensis, Carica dodecaphylla, Carica glandulosa, Carica goudotiana, Carica heterophylla, Carica horovitziana, Carica longiflora, Carica Mexicana, Carica microcarpa, Carica monoica, Carica nana, Carica omnilingua, Carica palandensis, Caricaparviflora, Carica pentagona, Carica pubescens, Caricapulchra, Caricaquercifolia, Carica sphaerocarpa, Carica Spinose,Carica sprucei, Carica castipulate and Carica weberbaueri. Salt forms include, for example, methyl privet glycoside.

[0022] If provided in the form of a plant extract, the extract is preferably enriched with ligustriglucosidic acid and 2'-hydroxyligustriglucosidic acid to reach a content of about 0.01% and higher, respectively. For example, the plant extract contains ligustriglucosidic acid and 2'-hydroxyligustriglucosidic acid in an amount of about 0.05% to about 95%, about 0.1% to about 50%, or about 0.2% to about 10%, respectively. Unless otherwise indicated, percentages (%s) are by weight.

[0023] Natural sweeteners include, but are not limited to, for example, sucrose, fructose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, stevia compositions (Steviarebaudiana compositions) comprising pure components of Reb A, stevioside and rebaudioside D (Reb D), xylose, arabinose or rhamnose, and sugar alcohols, such as erythritol, xylitol, mannitol, sorbitol, inositol and combinations thereof. Artificial sweeteners include, but are not limited to, for example, aspartame, sucralose, neotame, acesulfame potassium, saccharin and combinations thereof.

[0024] Flavoring agents are preparations that provide a specific taste and / or smell to consumer products. Flavoring agents with modified properties are a subset of the flavoring agents. They are added to consumer products to reduce odors and / or improve overall profile. The flavoring agents with modified properties of the present invention include, but are not limited to, for example, stevia compositions, including stevioside, steviolbioside Reb A, rebaudioside B (Reb B), rebaudioside C (Reb C), Reb D, rebaudioside E (Reb E), rebaudioside F (Reb F), dulcoside A, dulcoside B, rubusoside, α-glucosyl stevia, fructosyl stevia, galactosyl stevia, β-glucosyl stevia, simone glycoside, mogroside IV, mogroside V, monk fruit, monatin, glycyrrhizic acid, thaumatin, salts thereof, glycosylated derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof. Glycosylated derivatives can be prepared by transglycosylation reactions with, for example, but not limited to, glucose, fructose, galactose, rhamnose, ribose, mannose, arabinose, fucose, maltose, lactose, sucrose, rutin, sorbose, xylulose, ribulose, rhammulose, and xylose. In one embodiment, the modified flavorings of the present invention include Reb A, Reb C, rubusoside, Reb D, mogroside V, monk fruit, monatonic acid, salts thereof, glycosylated derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof. The modified flavorings of the present invention have weak inherent sweetness. Some other flavoring agents of the present invention include, but are not limited to, for example, curculin, monellin, mabinlin, brazzein, hernandulcin, phyllodulcin, glycyphyllin, phloridzin, trilobtain, baiyunoside, osladin, polypodoside A, pterocaryoside A, pterocaryoside B, mukurozioside, phlomisoside I, periandrin I, abrusoside A, cyclocarioside I, and combinations thereof.

[0025] Therefore, the term "sweet taste modifier" of the present invention refers to sweeteners including the natural sweeteners and artificial sweeteners described above or flavoring agents having a modifying property.

[0026] The term "sweetness" or "sweetness intensity" is understood as the relative intensity of the sweetness sensation observed or felt by an individual (e.g., a human), or the degree or amount of sweetness detected by a taster, such as on a scale of 0 (none) to 8 (very strong) used in sensory evaluation according to the procedure described in American Society for Testing Materials, Special Technical Publication-434: "Manual on Sensory Testing Methods," ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA. (1996).

[0027] The term "olfactory effective amount" is understood to be the amount of ligustriglucosidic acid or its derivatives used in combination with a sweet taste modifier, wherein ligustriglucosidic acid or its derivatives enhance the sweetness of the sweet taste modifier. Its olfactory effective amount can vary according to a variety of factors, including other ingredients, their relative amounts, and desired olfactory effects. Ligustriglucosidic acid or its derivatives of any amount that provide a desired degree of sweet taste enhancement without presenting peculiar smell can be used. In certain embodiments, the olfactory effective amount is from about 1ppb to about 1000ppm by weight, preferably from about 5ppb to about 100ppm by weight, more preferably from about 10ppb to about 10ppm by weight. When used in the form of a plant extract such as a papaya leaf extract, the olfactory effective amount ranges from about 100ppb to about 1000ppm by weight, preferably from about 1 to about 500ppm by weight, more preferably from about 5 to about 200ppm by weight.

[0028] Consumer products include, for example, foods (eg, beverages), sweeteners (eg, natural sweeteners or artificial sweeteners), pharmaceutical compositions, dietary supplements, nutritional products, dental hygiene compositions, and cosmetics. The consumer product may further contain a flavoring agent.

[0029] In some embodiments, the consumables are foods, including, but not limited to, for example, fruits, vegetables, juices, meat products (e.g., ham, bacon, and sausage), egg products, juice concentrates, gelatin and gelatin-like products (e.g., jams, pectins, preserves, etc.), dairy products (e.g., yogurt, ice cream, sour cream, and sherbet), icings, syrups (including molasses), products of corn, wheat, rye, soy, oats, rice, and barley, nut kernels and nut products, cakes, cookies, candies (e.g., toffee, chewing gum, fruit-flavored drops and chocolate candies, bubble gum, mints), creams, pies, and bread. In certain embodiments, the food is a beverage, including, but not limited to, for example, coffee, tea, carbonated soft drinks (e.g., COKE and PEPSI), non-carbonated soft drinks and other fruit drinks, sports drinks (e.g., GATORADE, and alcoholic beverages (e.g., beer, wine, and spirits). Consumers also include formulated product packages, such as granular seasoning mixes, which provide non-carbonated beverages when reconstituted with water, instant pudding mixes, instant coffee and tea, coffee creamer, malted milk mixes, pet food, livestock feed, tobacco, and materials for baking purposes (e.g., powdered baking mixes for preparing bread, biscuits, cakes, pancakes, donuts, etc.). Consumers also include diet or low-calorie foods and beverages containing little or no sucrose. Preferred consumer products include carbonated beverages. Consumers further include condiments (e.g., vanilla, spices, and seasonings), flavor enhancers (e.g., MSG, monosodium glutamate), diet sweeteners, and liquid sweeteners.

[0030] In other embodiments, the consumer product is a pharmaceutical composition, a dietary supplement, a nutraceutical, an oral hygiene composition or a cosmetic. A preferred composition is a pharmaceutical composition comprising ligustrum lucidum or a derivative thereof, one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients and one or more activating agents that exert a biological effect other than sweet taste enhancement. Such activating agents include pharmaceutical preparations and biological preparations that have an activity different from enhancing taste. Such active agents are well known in the art (see, for example, The Physician's Desk Reference). Such compositions can be prepared according to methods known in the art, for example, as described in Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mack Publishing Co., Easton, PA. In one embodiment, such active agents include bronchodilators, anorectics, antihistamines, nutritional supplements, laxatives, analgesics, anesthetics, antacids, H2 receptor antagonists, anticholinergics, antidiarrheals, demulcents, antitussives, antiemetics, antimicrobial agents, antibacterial agents, antifungal agents, antiviral agents, expectorants, anti-inflammatory agents, antipyretics, and mixtures thereof.In another embodiment, the active agent is selected from antipyretics and analgesics, such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or aspirin; laxatives, such as sodium phenolphthalein dioctylsulfosuccinate; appetite suppressants, such as amphetamines, phenylpropanolamine, phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride; or caffeine; antacids, such as calcium carbonate; anti-asthma agents, such as theophylline; antidiarrheal drugs, such as diphenoxylate hydrochloride; anti-flatulent agents, such as simethicone; migraine agents, such as ergotamine tartrate; psychopharmacological agents, such as haloperidol; antispasmodics or sedatives, such as phenobarbital; antihyperkinetic agents, such as methyldopa or methylphenidate; sedatives, such as benzodiazepines, hydroxyzine, mesylate, or phenothiazines; antihistamines, such as astemizole, chlorpheniramine maleate, pyridinamine maleate, doxylamine succinate, brompheniramine maleate, phenyltoloxamine citrate, chlorcyclizine hydrochloride, pheniramine maleate, or phenindamine tartrate; decongestants, such as phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride, phenylephrine hydrochloride, pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, pseudoephedrine sulfate, phenyltoloxamine bitartrate propanolamine or ephedrine; beta-blockers such as propranolol; alcohol withdrawal agents such as disulfiram; cough suppressants such as benzocaine, dextromethorphan, dextromethorphan hydrobromide, noscapine, carbestatin citrate, and clopidogrel; fluoride supplements such as sodium fluoride; topical antibiotics such as tetracycline or clindamycin; corticosteroid supplements such as prednisone or prednisolone; antigout agents such as colchicine or allopurinol; anticonvulsants such as phenytoin; antidehydration agents such as electrolyte supplements; preservatives such as Cetylpyridinium chloride; NSAIDs, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen or their salts; gastrointestinal active agents, such as loperamide and famotidine; alkaloids, such as codeine phosphate, codeine sulfate or morphine; trace element supplements, such as sodium chloride, zinc chloride, calcium carbonate, magnesium oxide and other alkali metal salts and alkaline earth metal salts; vitamins; ion exchange resins, such as cholestyramine, cholesterol inhibitors and lipid-lowering substances; antiarrhythmic drugs, such as N-acetylprocainamide; and expectorants, such as guaifenesin. Examples of dietary supplements or nutraceuticals include, for example, but not limited to, enteral nutrition products for the treatment of nutritional deficiencies, trauma, surgery, Crohn's disease, kidney disease, hypertension, obesity, etc., to promote sports performance, muscle strengthening or general health or inborn errors of metabolism (such as phenylketonuria). In particular, such compositions may contain one or more amino acids having a bitter or metallic taste or aftertaste. These amino acids include, for example, but are not limited to, essential amino acids such as the L isomers of leucine, isoleucine, histidine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, and valine. Dental hygiene compositions are known in the art and include, for example, but are not limited to, toothpastes, mouthwashes, plaque rinses, dental floss, dental analgesics (e.g., ANBESOL), etc. In one embodiment, the dental hygiene composition comprises a natural sweetener.In another embodiment, the dental hygiene composition comprises more than one natural sweetener. In another embodiment, the dental hygiene composition comprises sucrose and corn syrup, or sucrose and aspartame. Cosmetics include, for example, but not limited to, face creams, lipsticks, lip glosses, etc. Other suitable cosmetics for use in the present invention include lip balms, such as CHAPSTICK or BURT'S BEESWAX lip balms.

[0031] In addition, the present invention also provides a method for enhancing the sweetness of a condiment with a modified property by adding ligustriloside or a derivative thereof and reducing the use level of the condiment in a consumer product. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a consumer product comprising an olfactory effective amount of ligustriloside or a derivative thereof and a reduced amount of a condiment with a modified property to obtain the same sweetness level as when only the condiment with a modified property is used alone in a traditional amount. In this regard, the amount of the condiment with a modified property used in the consumer product can be reduced by at least about 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90% or 95%, from about 60% to about 99%, or from about 20% to about 50%.

[0032] As indicated, ligustrucin or its derivatives can be used as sweetness enhancers in consumer products that maintain the desired sweetness but contain less natural sweeteners or artificial sweeteners. For example, by adding ligustrucin or its derivatives, an improved carbonated soft drink having the same sweetness as known carbonated soft drinks can be produced, but with a lower sugar content.

[0033] Other materials can also be used together with the ligustrum lucidum or its derivatives of the present invention to encapsulate and / or transmit enhanced flavor. Some well-known materials are, for example but not limited to, polymers, oligomers, other non-polymers (such as surfactants, emulsifiers, lipids (including fats, waxes and phospholipids, organic oils, mineral oils, petrolatum, natural oils), fixatives, fibers, starches, sugars and solid surface materials (such as zeolites and silica). Some preferred polymers include polyacrylates, polyureas, polyurethanes, polyacrylamides, polyesters, polyethers, polyamides, poly(acrylate-to-acrylamide), starch, silica, gelatin and gum arabic, alginate, chitosan, polylactide, poly(melamine-formaldehyde), poly(urea-formaldehyde) or combinations thereof.

[0034] The following is provided as a specific embodiment of the present invention. Other modifications of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such modifications are understood to be within the scope of the present invention. Materials are purchased from Aldrich Chemical Company, unless otherwise indicated. Unless otherwise indicated, all percentages used herein are weight percentages, ppm is understood to represent parts per million, L is understood to be liters, mL is understood to be milliliters, g is understood to be grams, Kg is understood to be kilograms, mol is understood to be moles, mmol is understood to be millimoles, psig is understood to be gauge pounds per square inch, and mmHg is understood to be millimeters (mm) of mercury (Hg). The IFF used in the examples refers to International Flavors & Fragrances Inc., New York, NY, USA.

[0035] Example I: Preparation of test samples

[0036] Purchased papaya leaf extract ( Industries Inc., California, US). In different batches, ligustriglic acid, 2'-hydroxyligustriglic acid, verbascoside and isoverbascoside were identified at ∼0.1-1%, ∼0.2-2%, ∼0.2-2% and ∼0.01-0.4%, respectively. Further separation was performed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to provide ligustriglic acid at ∼95% purity. In addition, 2'-hydroxyligustriglic acid was purchased.

[0037] Example II: Enhancing the sweetness of sucrose

[0038] Sucrose solution (4%) was prepared in water. Ethanol aqueous solution (50%) of each of Ligustrum lucid and 2'-hydroxyligustrum lucid was prepared at different concentrations. Ligustrum lucid and 2'-hydroxyligustrum lucid were evaluated at concentrations of 1 and 200 ppm, respectively. Both had no taste and odor.

[0039] The flavor profile of the sucrose solution with added ligustriglic acid and 2'-hydroxyligustriglic acid is reported as follows:

[0040]

[0041] Ligustrum lucidum showed a particularly strong effect. When used with sucrose, it enhanced the overall sweetness, body and mouthfeel. 2'-Hydroxyligustrum lucidum showed a strong effect in enhancing sweetness.

[0042] Example III: Enhancing the sweetness of monk fruit

[0043] A solution of Momordica grosvenori (Biovittoria Ltd., New Zealand) was prepared in water (120 ppm). Ligustrum lucidic acid and 2'-hydroxyligustrum lucidic acid solutions were prepared as described above (Example II). The flavor profile of the Momordica grosvenori solution with added ligustrum lucidic acid and 2'-hydroxyligustrum lucidic acid is reported as follows:

[0044]

[0045] Ligustrum lucidum showed a particularly strong effect. When used with monk fruit, it enhanced the overall sweetness, body and mouthfeel. 2'-Hydroxyligustrum lucidum showed a strong effect in enhancing sweetness.

[0046] Example IV: Preparation of test solutions

[0047] The effect of plant extracts such as papaya leaf extract on sweetness was investigated. Solutions of papaya leaf extract containing ligustic acid (0.61%), 2'-hydroxyligustic acid (0.62%), verbascoside (0.69%) and isovalascoside (0.21%) were prepared in aqueous ethanol (50%) to obtain a range of concentrations from 1 to 1000 ppm.

[0048] Solutions of sucrose (4%) and monk fruit (120 ppm) were prepared as described above (Examples II and III). In addition, solutions of fructose (3.4%), Reb A (GLG Life Tech Corporation, Canada) (90 ppm) and GSG (glucosyl stevioside, GLG Life Tech Corporation, Canada) (200 ppm) were prepared in water.

[0049] The enhancement of sweetness of (i) sucrose, (ii) monk fruit, (iii) fructose, (iv) RebA and (v) GSG by papaya leaf extract was evaluated. In all test groups, papaya leaf extract enhanced sweetness.

[0050] Example V: Enhancing the sweetness of sucrose by plant extracts

[0051] Sucrose solutions (4%) to which various amounts of papaya leaf extract were added were evaluated. The flavor profiles were as follows:

[0052]

[0053] Papaya leaf extract enhances the sucrose mouthfeel starting at 1 ppm and enhances sucrose sweetness starting at 10 ppm. However, undesirable off-flavors begin to appear at 500 ppm.

[0054] Example VI: Enhancing the sweetness of fructose by plant extracts

[0055] A fructose solution (3.4%) to which various amounts of papaya leaf extract were added was evaluated. The flavor profile was as follows:

[0056]

[0057]

[0058] Papaya leaf extract provided a sucrose-like flavor profile. Papaya leaf extract enhanced the sweetness, body and mouthfeel of fructose at all levels tested. However, undesirable off-flavors began to develop at 500 ppm.

[0059] Example VII: Plant extracts enhance the sweetness of monk fruit

[0060] A solution of monk fruit (120 ppm) with various amounts of papaya leaf extract added was evaluated. The flavor profile was as follows:

[0061] sample Extract(ppm) Flavor 1 0(Basic) Light sweet taste 2 1 Some taste 3 10 Sweetness emerges early, and the lingering taste helps suppress bitterness 4 20 Early sweetness, early taste 5 50 Pleasant sweetness, less lingering bitterness, mouthfeel helps suppress off-flavors 6 100 The effect is obvious, more like sucrose, less odor 7 200 The odor begins to appear 8 500 More off-flavors begin to suppress sweetness 9 1000 Wood, bark and astringency overwhelm the sweetness

[0062] Papaya leaf extract provides a sucrose-like flavor profile. Papaya leaf extract enhances the sweetness of monk fruit and masks the lingering bitterness. However, undesirable off-flavors begin to develop at 500 ppm.

[0063] Example VIII: Enhancing the sweetness of RebA by plant extracts

[0064] Reb A solutions (90 ppm) with various amounts of papaya leaf extract added were evaluated. The flavor profiles were as follows:

[0065]

[0066] Papaya leaf extract enhanced the sweetness and mouthfeel of Reb A and masked lingering bitterness and off-flavors. However, undesirable off-flavors began to develop at 500 ppm.

[0067] Example IX: Plant extracts enhance the sweetness of GSG

[0068] GSG (glucosyl stevioside) solutions (200 ppm) with various amounts of papaya leaf extract added were evaluated. The flavor profiles were as follows:

[0069] sample Extract(ppm) Flavor 1 0(Basic) Light sweet taste 2 1 Minimal effect 3 10 Very slight effect on sweetness, more mouthfeel 4 20 Very slight effect on sweetness, more mouthfeel 5 50 More sweetness, noticeably enhanced taste 6 100 Enhanced sweetness and taste 7 200 Sugary maple syrup-like taste, astringency begins to emerge 8 500 Maple syrup-like, astringent 9 1000 Woody and barky

[0070] Papaya leaf extract enhances the sweetness and mouthfeel of glucosyl stevioside. However, undesirable off-flavors begin to develop at 500 ppm.

[0071] Example X: Enhancing the sweetness of yogurt containing sucrose

[0072] Dannon nonfat plain yogurt with 6% sucrose was prepared and used as a base. Different amounts of papaya leaf extract were added to the base. The flavor profile was evaluated and the results are as follows:

[0073]

[0074]

[0075] Papaya leaf extract enhanced the sweetness of yogurt containing sucrose and reduced the sour taste. However, undesirable off-flavors began to develop at 1000 ppm.

[0076] Example XI: Enhancing the sweetness of yogurt containing GSG

[0077] Dannon plain nonfat yogurt with GSG (600 pm) was prepared and used as a base. Different amounts of papaya leaf extract were added to the base. The flavor profile was evaluated and the results are as follows:

[0078]

[0079] Papaya leaf extract enhanced the sweetness and mouthfeel of yogurt containing GSG.

[0080] Example XII: Enhancing the sweetness of yogurt containing sucrose

[0081] Different amounts of papaya leaf extract were added to Dannon Danimals Smoothies Yogurt Drink (Strawberry Explosion) containing 9% cane sugar. The flavor profile was evaluated and the results are as follows:

[0082]

[0083] Papaya leaf extract enhanced the sweetness and mouthfeel of yogurt containing cane sugar at all levels tested.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing the sweetness of a sweet taste modifier, comprising the step of adding an olfactory effective amount of 2'-hydroxyligustrigolic acid, in, The sweet taste modifier is selected from sucrose, rebaudioside A, stevioside, α-glucosyl stevioside, monk fruit, glycyrrhizic acid, thaumatin and combinations thereof, and The olfactory effective amount is 160 ppb to 640 ppb.

2. A composition comprising a sweet taste modifier and an olfactory effective amount of 2'-hydroxyligustriglucoside, in, The sweet taste modifier is selected from sucrose, rebaudioside A, stevioside, α-glucosyl stevioside, monk fruit, glycyrrhizic acid, thaumatin and combinations thereof, and The olfactory effective amount is 160 ppb to 640 ppb.

3. A consumable product comprising a sweet taste modifier and an olfactory effective amount of 2'-hydroxyligustrigolic acid, in, The sweet taste modifier is selected from sucrose, rebaudioside A, stevioside, α-glucosyl stevioside, monk fruit, glycyrrhizic acid, thaumatin and combinations thereof, and The olfactory effective amount is 160 ppb to 640 ppb.

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