Hernandulcin is an intensely sweet chemical compound gained from the chiefly Mexican and South American plant Lippia dulcis.

Cesar M. Compadre, and A. Douglas Kinghorn, from the University of Illinois at Chicago isolated and identified the sweet compound from the leaves and flowers of the Lippia dulcis plant, in Mexico.

The researchers noted the chemical structure of the colourless oil, and named it hernandulcin after Francisco Hernandez.

By slightly modifying the compound, researchers have identified the three parts of the chemical structure that produced the intense sweet taste—the carbonyl group, the hydroxyl group, and the hydrophobic side chain.

Hernandulcin also has a minty aftertaste, and does not cause tooth decay, which would make it a good candidate for oral hygiene products.