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Cyclamate

     

Other names:

Cyclohexylsulfamic acid
Cyclohexanesulfamic acid
Hexamic acid

Sodium cyclohexylsulfamate
Cyclamate sodium
Sodium cyclamate
Assugrin
Sucaryl sodium
Sucrosa

Calcium cyclohexylsulfamate
Calcium cyclamate
Cyclohexylsulfamic acid calcium salt
Cyclamate calcium
Sucaryl calcium
Cyclan

Taste:
Cyclamate tastes sweet. At high concentrations, sodium and calcium cyclamate may have detectable salty taste as well. The sweetness potency relative to sucrose is about 35-50, but depends upon the concentration of sucrose which is being matched. The concentration vs. response relationship in water (results in food systems will vary) is shown below. This graph is based on data from DuBois, Walters, Schiffman, Warwick, Booth, Pecore, Gibes, Carr & Brands in "Sweeteners: Discovery, Molecular Design, and Chemoreception," D.E. Walters et al., Eds., American Chemical Society, 1991. The equation allows you to calculate sweetness response (R) for any concentration (C). The units of R are percent sucrose equivalent; the units of C are parts per million (ppm).

Calories:
Cyclamate has no calories

Safety:
The safety of cyclamate is controversial. It is approved for use in some countries and not in others.

Chemistry:
Cyclamate is a sulfamic acid, usually used as the sodium or calcium salt.
Molecular formula:
    C6H13NO3S (cyclamic acid)
    C6H12NNaO3S (sodium cyclamate)
    C12H24CaN2O6S2 (calcium cyclamate)

Molecular weight: 

    179.23 (cyclamic acid)

    201.22 (sodium cyclamate)

    396.54 (calcium cyclamate)

Properties:
Cyclamic acid is very sparingly soluble in water, and is slowly hydrolyzed in hot water.  Sodium cyclamate and calcium cyclamate are both freely soluble in water.

Discovery:
Michael Sveda was a graduate student at the University of Illinois, working in the laboratory of Audrieth on the synthesis of anti-pyretic (anti-fever) drugs. While working in the laboratory in 1937, he put his cigarette down on the lab bench. When he put it back in his mouth, he discovered the sweet taste of cyclamate.

Other links:
Cyclamate on Wikipedia

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