Saccharin Inhibits Carbonic Anhydrases: Possible Explanation for its Unpleasant Metallic Aftertaste

摘要

Saccharin is the oldest artificial sweetener, and was discovered by serendipity in 1879 by Fahlberg and Remsen. About 450 times as sweet as sucrose, it was a very important discovery, particularly for diabetics. Commercialization started shortly after its discovery and it has become increasingly popular in recent years as a calorie-free sugar surrogate. Blended with cyclamate, it has been hugely successful and sold, for example, as "Sweet 'n Low". Saccharin is not only known for its extreme sweetness, but also for a bitter and metallic aftertaste. Even though there have been worries about its safety since its introduction, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s, only speculations about its putative carcinogenicity have been put forward. At normal doses, no clear evidence for a causal correlation between saccharin consumption and health risks for humans could be demonstrated.