Monellin is a two-chain sweet protein from the West African serendipity plant which is estimated to be about 70,000 times sweeter than sugar on a molecule for molecule basis (and probably about 1,000 times sweeter on a gram for gram basis).

It is currently being investigated for commercial use as a noncarbohydrate sweetener by the Kirin Brewery company in Japan.

While useful in sweetening some materials, it may have limited use because it may denature under high temperature conditions, although, as a protein it may become popular owing to the popularity of the Atkins Nutritional Approach (Atkins diet).

This is part of a series on natural sugar substitutes. Read more here:

• Sugar Substitutes – Brazzein – Natural Sweetener
• Sugar Substitutes – Curculin – Natural Sweetener
• Sugar Substitutes – Erythritol – Natural Sweetener
• Sugar Substitutes – Fructose – Natural Sweetener
• Sugar Substitutes – Glycerol – Natural Sweeteners
• Sugar Substitutes – Glycyrrhizin – Natural Sweeteners
• Sugar Substitutes – Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysates – Natural Sweetener
• Sugar Substitutes – Isomalt – Natural Sweetener
• Sugar Substitutes – Lactitol – Natural Sweetener
• Sugar Substitutes – Mabinlin – Natural Sweetener
• Sugar Substitutes – Maltitol – Natural Sweetener
• Sugar Substitutes – Mannitol – Natural Sweetener
• Sugar Substitutes – Miraculin – Natural Sweetener
• Sugar Substitutes – Monellin – Natural Sweetener
• Sugar Substitutes – Pentadin – Natural Sweetener
• Sugar Substitutes – Sorbitol – Natural Sweetener
• Sugar Substitutes – Stevia – Natural Sweetener
• Sugar Substitutes – Tagatose – Natural Sweetener
• Sugar Substitutes – Thaumatin – Natural Sweetener
• Sugar Substitutes – Xylitol – Natural Sweetener

Information Provided by Wikipedia