noun
- Plural of monellin; proteins found in certain West African plants that have an intensely sweet taste and are used as natural sweetening agents.
Usage: technical; biochemistry
Examples
- Monellins are extracted from the serendipity berry and used as sugar substitutes in some food products.
- The sweetness of monellins is hundreds of times more intense than sucrose.
- Researchers have studied monellins as a potential alternative to artificial sweeteners.
- Monellins consist of two polypeptide chains that work together to produce their sweet taste.