Final answer:
Yes, some sugar substitutes are derived from sucrose, such as sucralose, which is made by chemically altering sucrose to make it much sweeter and free of calories. Aspartame and Stevia are other sugar substitutes used to provide a sweet taste without the caloric content of sugar.
Step-by-step explanation:
Some sugar substitutes are indeed made from derivatives of sucrose. Derived sugars are the result of chemical modifications such as oxidation, reduction, or the addition/replacement of any group on the original sugar molecules. Sucralose is a prime example of a sugar substitute that is synthesized from sucrose by substituting three hydroxyl groups (OH) with chlorine atoms, making it approximately 600 times sweeter than sucrose and noncaloric, as it passes through the body without being metabolized. Aspartame is another substitute that is a methyl ester of a dipeptide of aspartate and phenylalanine, which is about 180 times sweeter than table sugar and widely used in sugar-free products. Stevia, derived from the leaves of the plant species Stevia rebaudiana, is also a popular sugar substitute that contains steviol glycosides, offering a sweet taste with zero calories.