Which artificial sweetener is closest to tasting like sugar and has good aqueous solubility?

• A. Sucralose
• B. Saccharin
• C. Aspartame
• D. Cyclamate

Answer: (C)

Taste similarity to sugar depends on how closely the sweetener mimics sucrose’s flavor profile, while solubility reflects how easily it dissolves in water for easy formulation. Aspartame, being a dipeptide methyl ester, interacts with sweetness receptors in a way that closely mirrors sugar’s perceived sweetness, giving a taste that many find most similar to sugar among common options. It also dissolves readily in water, providing good aqueous solubility for use in beverages and solutions. The other sweeteners tend to have distinctive aftertastes or less sugar-like sweetness, or differ in solubility characteristics, making them less ideal when the goal is both near-sugar flavor and strong aqueous solubility.