Extraction and Analysis of Xylitol in Sugar-Free Gum Samples by GC-MS with Direct Aqueous Injection.

Suranga M Rajapaksha,Katherine Gerken,Achala S Liyanage,Todd E Mlsna,Todd Archer,Patty Lathan,Deb Mlsna

doi:10.1155/2019/1690153

Abstract

Xylitol, a sugar substitute frequently used in sugar-free gum, is generally considered harmless to humans but it can be extremely toxic to dogs. Dog-owning customers are becoming increasingly aware of the risks associated with xylitol-containing chewing gums. However, there remains some uncertainty if these chewing gums are still dangerous to dogs after they have been partially consumed. In this work, a reliable low-cost analytical method has been developed to quantify the xylitol in sugar-free gum samples. Xylitol was extracted from gum samples using water as a solvent. Extractions were analyzed by GC-MS with direct aqueous injection (DAI). This method was successfully applied to over 120 samples including fresh gum and 5 min, 15 min, and 30 min chewed gum samples.

Highlights

Xylitol can be found naturally in low concentrations in fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, and sugar cane. It is a type of artificial sweetener known as a sugar alcohol [1], commonly used as a reduced calorie sugar substitute in many foods
Nine extractions are recommended to account for differences in an extractor’s grinding technique
Solvent vapors that expand to exceed the volume of the GC liner results in backflash which can cause severe separation and liner problems. e use of a laminar cup splitter (Figure 3) is suitable for such situations when injecting large volumes of low volatile compounds

Summary

Introduction

Xylitol can be found naturally in low concentrations in fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, and sugar cane. The primary role of artificial sugar alcohols is to act as sweeteners, but they influence product texture, preservation, moisture maintenance, and the cooling sensations in the mouth upon consumption [1]. For these many reasons xylitol is extensively utilized in chewing gum, and consumers favor xylitol-containing products because of perceived reduction in energy intake which can produce weight loss [2, 3]. Xylitol helps to prevent dental caries [4,5,6,7,8,9], since diet is a major etiological factor in dental health, and limiting the consumption of fermentable carbohydrates and sugars is an effective strategy to control dental caries [10]. erefore, there is interest in replacing sucrose in chewing gum with nonfermentable sugars such as xylitol, which prevents the lactic acid production that can result in cavities [4,5,6,7,8]

Methods

Results

Conclusion