Chemical Structure and Sweet Taste of Isocoumarins and Its Derivatives. IV

Further investigation was made on the derivatives of β-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-ethylbenzene which is regarded as the essential structure for the sweet taste of phyllodulcin, and compounds (II-XIII) were synthesized. Both VIII and XI were sweet, whereas II, III, and IV were tasteless, and V, VI, VII, IX, X, and XII revealed a bitter taste. On the basis of these data, a delicate relationship between the molecular structure and sweet taste receptor site was presumed.