Since it contains an asymmetric carbon atom the molecule is chiral, with the S enantiomer predominating in natural sources and being primarily responsible for the sweetness-masking effect.

[2] The parent acid of lactisole was discovered in 1989 in roasted Colombian arabica coffee beans in a concentration of 0.5 to 1.2 ppm.

[3] At concentrations of 100–150 parts per million in food, lactisole largely suppresses the ability to perceive sweet tastes, both from sugar and from artificial sweeteners such as aspartame.

However, it is significantly less efficient than gymnemic acid with acesulfame potassium, sucrose, glucose and sodium saccharin.

[4] The principal use of lactisole is in jellies, jams, and similar preserved fruit products containing large amounts of sugar.