Polymethoxyflavone Sweetness Enhancers for Prolonged Flavor Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for sweeteners that provide high-intensity sweetness without caloric content, have a prolonged release rate, and enhance flavor sensations, while avoiding unpleasant off-flavors and rapid release rates found in conventional sweeteners.
Innovation Solution
Compositions comprising hexamethoxyquercetogenin (3,5,6,7,3',4'-hexamethoxyflavone) and tetra-O-methylscutellarein are used as sweeteners or sweetness enhancers, providing enhanced sweetness and prolonged release when added to consumable products at concentrations ranging from 0.001 to 20 ppm, often at 2 ppm, and can include additional sweeteners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If conventional sweeteners are used, then high sweetness intensity is achieved, but the release rate is rapid and sweetness is lost quickly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical structure parameters of sweeteners by using polymethoxyflavones with specific methoxyl group substitutions. This structural modification alters the release kinetics and prolongs sweetness duration while maintaining high intensity, directly resolving the contradiction between rapid release and prolonged action.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite sweetener formulations combining polymethoxyflavones with other sweetening agents or carriers. This composite approach enables controlled release mechanisms that extend sweetness duration while preserving high intensity, addressing the contradiction between rapid release and prolonged sensation.
2Quantity of substance
If non-caloric high-intensity sweeteners are used, then sweetness is enhanced, but unpleasant off-flavors are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies molecular parameters of sweeteners through polymethoxyflavone structures with controlled methoxyl group positions and numbers. This parameter optimization enhances sweetness intensity while eliminating the unpleasant off-flavors typically associated with non-caloric sweeteners, resolving the contradiction between intensity and flavor quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of off-flavors into benefit by using methoxyl group substitutions that naturally suppress unpleasant tastes. The methoxyl groups act as flavor-modifying moieties that transform potentially harmful off-flavors into desirable sweet taste profiles, maintaining high intensity without unpleasant notes.
3Duration of action of moving object
If sweetness enhancers are added to consumable products, then prolonged sweet sensation is achieved, but the product requires additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates polymethoxyflavone compounds that simultaneously provide multiple functions: high-intensity sweetening, prolonged release, and off-flavor suppression. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate enhancer components, achieving prolonged sensation without increasing formulation complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple desirable properties into a single polymethoxyflavone molecule: sweetness intensity, prolonged release kinetics, and flavor quality. By combining these functions in one compound rather than using separate sweetener and enhancer components, the patent achieves prolonged sensation without adding compositional complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The present disclosure provides compositions that include tetra-O-methylscutellarein, hexamethoxyquercetagetin, or mixtures or combinations thereof, as well as their use as sweeteners or sweetness enhancers.