Non-caloric Sweeteners Research Articles

PENGARUH PEMBERIAN PLANT GROWTH PROMOTING RHIZOBACTERIA (PGPR) PADA PERTUMBUHAN BIBIT STEK STEVIA (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni)

Sweetleaf stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) is one of the potential sugar-producing plants besides sugar cane which is widely used as a natural non-calorie sweetener. Propagation of stevia by shoot cuttings produces more uniform seedlings. Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) contains a group of beneficial bacteria that live in the plant root ecosystem that can stimulate plant growth. This study aims to determine the effect of PGPR on the growth of stevia cuttings and the best concentration of PGPR on the growth of stevia cuttings. This study was conducted in February-May 2024 in Kolongan Atas II Village, Sonder District, Minahasa Regency, North Sulawesi Province. The study used a Completely Randomized Design (RAL), with 5 treatment levels, namely P0 = Control (Without PGPR), P1 = PGPR 10 ml/liter of water, P2 = PGPR 20 ml/liter of water, P3 = PGPR 30 ml/liter of water and P4 = PGPR 40 ml/liter of water. Each treatment was repeated 4 times.The results showed that the aplication of PGPR affected the growth of stevia cuttings. The best PGPR concentration for the growth of stevia cuttings was at a PGPR treatment concentration of 20 ml/liter of water. Keywords: plant growth promoting rhizobacteria, stevia

Steviol rebaudiosides bind to four different sites of the human sweet taste receptor (T1R2/T1R3) complex explaining confusing experiments.

Sucrose provides both sweetness and energy by binding to both Venus flytrap domains (VFD) of the heterodimeric sweet taste receptor (T1R2/T1R3). In contrast, non-caloric sweeteners such as sucralose and aspartame only bind to one specific domain (VFD2) of T1R2, resulting in high-intensity sweetness. In this study, we investigate the binding mechanism of various steviol glycosides, artificial sweeteners, and a negative allosteric modulator (lactisole) at four distinct binding sites: VFD2, VFD3, transmembrane domain 2 (TMD2), and TMD3 through binding experiments and computational docking studies. Our docking results reveal multiple binding sites for the tested ligands, including the radiolabeled ligands. Our experimental evidence demonstrates that the C20 carboxy terminus of the Gα protein can bind to the intracellular region of either TMD2 or TMD3, altering GPCR affinity to the high-affinity state for steviol glycosides. These findings provide a mechanistic understanding of the structure and function of this heterodimeric sweet taste receptor.

Azúcares totales y azúcares añadidos reportados en las etiquetas nutricionales de bebidas comercializadas en El Salvador

In the present investigation, elements were soughtto be able to argue about the importance of declaring total sugars and added sugars in the nutritional labels of beverages marketed in El Salvador, since currently neither of these two parameters is mandatory to declare. It began by studying the data reported on the labels of 112 mass consumption beverages in El Salvador, finding that 54 % exclusively use caloric sweeteners, while 36 % use a mixture of caloric sweeteners with non-caloric sweeteners. It was also found that 62.5 % of the beverages declare only total sugars and 34 % declare both total sugars and added sugars. When calculating the energy provided per serving due to sugar between the total energy, it was found that both beverages that contain only caloric sweeteners, as well as those that contain a mixture of caloric and non-caloric sweeteners, exceed 10 % of the value, so that, if front labeling were mandatory in El Salvador, these products should have a warning of “excess of sugar”. Finally, a sample of 23 beverages was taken to perform the analysis of total dissolved solids (refractometric assay), which correspond to the total dissolved sugar, finding that in all the samples the total sugar content reported on the label corresponds to the result obtained in the laboratory. ILIA: Investigaciones Latinoamericanas en Ingeniería y Arquitectura, No. 01, 2024: 208-212.

Detection of Non-caloric artificial sweetener saccharine in soft drinks and ice-creams through intermolecular H-bonding by using AuNPs-based fluorescent probe

Artificial sweeteners (ASs) are widely utilized as sugar substitutes in food products. However, excessive consumption of ASs poses potential health risks, necessitating their early detection. In this study, pamoic acid (PA)-functionalized gold nanoparticles (PA@AuNPs) were employed for the detection of ASs using fluorescence spectroscopy. The PA@AuNPs exhibited high selectivity and excellent sensitivity towards saccharine (SAC) (LoD (limit of detection) = 0.14 × 10−6 M and LoQ (limit of quantification) = 0.47 × 10−6 M), compared to other commercially available ASs. The fluorescence emission intensity of PA@AuNPs was significantly quenched (∼3-fold) upon the addition of SAC (0 → 50 × 10−6 M) through the formation of a ground state complex, PA@AuNPs•SAC. This complex formation was corroborated by FTIR analysis. The non-radiative process validated by time-resolved fluorescence analysis. Morphological analysis revealed that the spherical morphology of PA@AuNPs remained unchanged upon SAC interaction. PA@AuNPs effectively detected SAC in soft drinks and ice creams, with recovery ranges from 121 % to 105 %.

Protein rational design and modification of erythrose reductase for the improvement of erythritol production in Yarrowia lipolytica.

Erythritol is a natural non-caloric sweetener, which is produced by fermentation and extensively applied in food, medicine and chemical industries. The final step of the erythritol synthesis pathway is involved in erythritol reductase, whose activity and NADPH-dependent become the limiting node of erythritol production efficiency. Herein, we implemented a strategy combining molecular docking and thermal stability screening to construct an ER mutant library. And we successfully obtained a double mutant ERK26N/V295M (ER*) whose catalytic activity was 1.48 times that of wild-type ER. Through structural analysis and MD analysis, we found that the catalytic pocket and the enzyme stability of ER* were both improved. We overexpressed ER* in the engineered strain ΔKU70 to obtain the strain YLE-1. YLE-1 can produce 39.47 g/L of erythritol within 144 h, representing a 35% increase compared to the unmodified strain, and a 10% increase compared to the strain overexpressing wild-type ER. Considering the essentiality of NADPH supply, we further co-expressed ER* with two genes from the oxidative phase of PPP, ZWF1 and GND1. This resulted in the construction of YLE-3, which exhibited a significant increase in production, producing 47.85 g/L of erythritol within 144 h, representing a 63.90% increase compared to the original chassis strain. The productivity and the yield of the engineered strain YLE-3 were 0.33 g/L/h and 0.48 g/g glycerol, respectively. This work provided an ER mutation with excellent performance, and also proved the importance of cofactors in the process of erythritol synthesis, which will promote the industrial production of erythritol by metabolic engineering of Y. lipolytica.

Development of dark chocolate with inulin and sweetened with stevia extract obtained by pressurized hot water

Because of its taste, texture, and aroma, chocolate is consumed as a way to generate pleasant sensations. Due to its high caloric density, moderate consumption is recommended. Seeking to offer the benefits of this product to a more selective public, the aim of this research was to determine the chemical composition and sensory properties of a sugar-free dark chocolate added with inulin and sweetened with stevia extract obtained by pressurized hot water, which was compared with a commercial dark chocolate and accompanied by a sensory analysis of the samples. A completely randomized statistical experimental design was used to compare the properties of the alternative and commercial chocolates. The treatments were carried out in triplicate and the results obtained were analyzed by descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance with 95 % confidence level. The results showed that the treatment of stevia leaves with hot pressurized water allowed an extraction of 41.51 g of steviol glycosides for rebaudioside A and 6.76 g for stevioside per 100 g of leaves subjected to processing. The chemical analysis of the alternative and commercial chocolates indicated that the fat and total dietary fiber contents showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the dark chocolates, unlike the other components. Moisture, ash, fat, and protein contents were slightly higher in the two types of chocolate, and carbohydrate content was 4.1 % lower than in the commercial chocolate. Both products had 0 % added sugars and high dietary fiber content (> 37 %), and there was a reduction of 100 kcal/100 g compared to the commercial brand. Consumer sensory evaluation showed a higher level of liking (p < 0.05) for the elaborated chocolate with respect to the commercial product in attributes such as appearance, color, and texture. These findings suggest the use of stevia extracts obtained by pressurized hot water as a non-caloric sweetener for healthy, alternative dark chocolates suitable for people with diabetes.

Impact of excessive sucrose intake on mouse behavior across different developmental stages.

This study aimed to elucidate the effects of sucrose (SUC) consumption on neurodevelopmental processes through behavioral changes in rodents and determine whether these effects could be because of sweet taste, energy supply, or both. Mice were divided into five groups based on the time of SUC or sucralose (SUR, a noncaloric sweetener) administration: for 6 days from gestation day (GTD) 7, to birth from GTD13 and for 15 days from postnatal day (PND) 21, PND38, and PND56. SUC and SUR administration did not impact body weight. However, food intake in the PND56 group and water intake in the GTD13 and PND56 groups were increased by SUC and SUR administration. Amphetamine (0.5, 1, 2, and 3 mg/kg), a dopamine reuptake inhibitor, administration to assess alterations in the dopaminergic system induced increases in distance traveled after SUC administration in the GTD13 and PND21 groups compared with that in the control (vehicle administration) group. In contrast, the SUR group showed a decrease in the distance traveled in the PND56 group. Although there were no differences in locomotor activity and foraging behavior, SUC preference increased in the SUC group regarding the GTD13 and PND38 groups. The correlations between SUC preference and foraging behavior and between SUC preference and amphetamine response varied in both groups according to the developmental stage. Excessive SUC consumption might affect neural function at different developmental stages, as it could affect brain function through complex mechanisms involving sweet taste and energy supply and influence the dopaminergic system.

P-638 Paternal Consumption of Caloric and Non-Caloric Sweeteners is Associated with Sex-Specific Differences in Reproductive outcomes in offspring

Abstract Study question Does paternal pre-conception consumption of caloric or non-caloric sweeteners (NCS) coupled with high fat diets (HFD) predispose offspring to early puberty onset in mice? Summary answer Paternal prenatal consumption of the NCS Rebaudioside A(RebA) resulted in early puberty onset in female offspring only compared to water and caloric sweetener groups. What is known already A growing body of evidence suggests that the paternal diet also influences health and disease onset in offspring. Early puberty onset is associated with metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease later in adulthood. NCS are often promoted as heathier alternatives to caloric sweeteners. Evidence examining the impact of NCS on male reproductive function and offspring health outcomes, including pubertal timing are lacking. Few studies have shown maternal HFD can contribute to early puberty onset in female offspring however to our knowledge this is the first study to investigate paternal diet and offspring reproductive outcomes. Study design, size, duration 32 6-week-old C57/BL6 male mice were randomly assigned to receive a control diet (CD) or HF plus water (Con), fructose (Fr), Acesulfame K (Ak) or RebA). After 8 weeks, mice were mated. Litters were standardised to 2 males and 2 females per group and fed a standard laboratory diet. Participants/materials, setting, methods Puberty onset was measured in females by vaginal opening (from postnatal day (PN28) and in males by preputial separation (from PN35). Oral glucose tolerance tests were carried out at PN70. Mice were culled from PN80. Data were analysed by repeated measures or 2-way ANOVA. Main results and the role of chance There were no significant differences in birth weight, sex ratio or organ weights across groups. There was an overall effect of paternal NCS on male but not female offspring weight[CR1] at cull(p < 0.05), with male CDRebA offspring having increased BW (29.52g±1.5) compared with CDAk at PN80 (26.4g±3; p < 0.05). Females from paternal HF and CD RebA group [CR2] entered puberty significantly earlier (31.8d±1) than Fr (34d±1;p<0.01) and Con (34±1;p<0.05) groups. Male offspring from HFAk had lower glucose AUC (913±31) compared with CDCon (1289±48;p<0.001). Female offspring from CDRebA (1263±84) and CDFr (1273±67) groups had lower glucose AUC compared with CDCon group (1445±56;p<0.05). Limitations, reasons for caution This study was carried out on mice therefore direct translatability to humans is limited. examining the impact of paternal NCS intakes on molecular pathways in the ovary and testes to assess offspring reproductive health later in life and to evaluate pregnancy success following mating would essential for providing further insight. Wider implications of the findings The present study adds to the experimental evidence to date suggesting that NCS may not be beneficial alternatives to sugar-sweetened products consumed preconceptionally on the health of the offspring. This study also highlights the importance of including paternal diet in research when looking at transgenerational effects. Trial registration number not applicable

In vitro Molecular Mechanisms of Anticancer Activity of Stevioside in Human Osteosarcoma Cell Lines (Sarcoma Osteogenic).

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer that primarily affects the long bones of the body, such as the arms and legs. It is characterized by the uncontrolled growth of malignant cells in the bone tissue, leading to the formation of abnormal and painful bone masses. Steviol glycosides have been widely used as natural noncalorie sweeteners and are the collective name of the sweet substances found naturally in the plant Stevia rebaudiana, which is commonly called Stevia. Our study aimed to analyze the anticancer activity of Stevioside in OS. Stevioside was applied to OS cells, and the levels of Bcl xL, Bcl-2, and Bax were then estimated. The results of three separate studies, each carried out in triplicate, were expressed as the mean ± standard errors of the mean (SEM). One-way ANOVA was used for statistical analysis. The findings showed that the effect of Stevioside on sarcoma osteogenic cells with mean ± SEM as 0.74 ± 0.05, 0.69 ± 0.09, 0.46 ± 0.09 for Bcl-xL gene, 0.98 ± 0.06, 0.58 ± 0.07, 0.5 ± 0.07 for Bcl-2 gene, and 1.2 ± 0.08, 1.45 ± 0.11, 1.67 ± 0.12 for Bax gene, respectively, when treated with untreated control cells. The study concludes its action against bone OS cells was significant with apoptotic induction. Stevia has a wide range of health benefits as well as being a plant-based diet it has less of side effects and promoting features even by intaking it daily along with other medicines.

Impact of Some Natural and Artificial Sweeteners Consumption on Different Hormonal Levels and Inflammatory Cytokines in Male Rats: In Vivo and In Silico Studies.

Substituting sugar with noncaloric sweeteners prevents overweight and diabetes development. They come in two types: artificial, like aspartame and sucralose, and natural, such as sorbitol. This research aimed to assess the effects of sucrose and these sweeteners on nutritional parameters, hematological parameters, hormones, and anti- and pro-inflammatory cytokines in male rats. Thirty rats had been separated into five groups. The results showed the highest significant increase in body weight gain, total food intake, and feed efficiency noticed in the aspartame group followed by sucralose, sucrose, and sorbitol, respectively. In contrast to RBCs and platelets, all sweeteners significantly reduced the hemoglobin level, Hct %, and WBC count. The aspartame group showed the highest decline in glycoproteins, steroids, and T3, and T4 hormones and a dramatic elevation in thyroid stimulating hormone, eicosanoid, and amine hormones compared with the control group. A vigorous elevation in anti- and proinflammatory cytokine levels was observed in the aspartame group, followed by sucralose, sucrose, and sorbitol groups. Aspartame has the highest docking scores when studying the interactions of sweeteners and a target protein associated with hormones or cytokines using in silico molecular docking, with the best absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, and toxicity properties compared to the remaining sweeteners.

Neural responses to oral administration of erythritol vs. sucrose and sucralose explain differences in subjective liking ratings

IntroductionHigh sugar intake is associated with many chronic diseases. However, non-caloric sweeteners (NCSs) might fail to successfully replace sucrose due to the mismatch between their rewarding sweet taste and lack of caloric content. The natural NCS erythritol has been proposed as a sugar substitute due to its satiating properties despite being non-caloric. We aimed to compare brain responses to erythritol vs. sucrose and the artificial NCS sucralose in a priori taste, homeostatic, and reward brain regions of interest (ROIs). MethodsWe performed a within-subject, single-blind, counterbalanced fMRI study in 30 healthy men (mean ± SEM age:24.3 ± 0.8 years, BMI:22.3 ± 0.3 kg/m2). Before scanning, we individually matched the concentrations of both NCSs to the perceived sweetness intensity of a 10% sucrose solution. During scanning, participants received 1 mL sips of the individually titrated equisweet solutions of sucrose, erythritol, and sucralose, as well as water. After each sip, they rated subjective sweetness liking. ResultsLiking ratings were significantly higher for sucrose and sucralose vs. erythritol (both pHolm = 0.0037); water ratings were neutral. General Linear Model (GLM) analyses of brain blood oxygen level-depended (BOLD) responses at qFDR<0.05 showed no differences between any of the sweeteners in a priori ROIs, but distinct differences were found between the individual sweeteners and water. These results were confirmed by Bayesian GLM and machine learning-based models. However, several brain response patterns mediating the differences in liking ratings between the sweeteners were found in whole-brain multivariate mediation analyses. Both subjective and neural responses showed large inter-subject variability. ConclusionWe found lower liking ratings in response to oral administration of erythritol vs. sucrose and sucralose, but no differences in neural responses between any of the sweeteners in a priori ROIs. However, differences in liking ratings between erythritol vs. sucrose or sucralose are mediated by multiple whole-brain response patterns.

A Pharmacological perspective on the temporal properties of sweeteners

Several non-caloric sweeteners exhibit a delay in sweetness onset and a sweetness linger after sampling. These temporal properties are thought to be the result of non-specific interactions with cell membranes and proteins in the oral cavity. Data and analysis presented in this report also support the potential involvement of receptor affinity and binding kinetics to this phenomenon. In general, affected sweeteners exhibit distinctly higher binding affinity compared to carbohydrate sweeteners, which do not have temporal issues. In addition, binding kinetic simulations illustrate much slower receptor binding association and dissociation kinetics for a set of non-caloric sweeteners presenting temporal issues, in comparison to carbohydrate sweeteners. So, the higher affinity of some non-caloric sweeteners, dictating lower use levels, and affecting binding kinetics, could contribute to their delay and linger in sweetness perception. Simple pharmacology principles could explain, at least in part, some of the temporal issues of sweeteners.

The effect of sweeteners on carbohydrate metabolism, metabolic parameters and intestinal microbiota

The prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes continues to grow, which determines the need to develop new methods of prevention in order to reduce the population risks of developing these diseases. The current direction is to limit the consumption of easily digestible carbohydrates and use low-calorie or non-calorie sweeteners instead. Currently, there is an increase in the use of non-calorie sweeteners in the manufacture of food. In this regard, the study of their possible effects on metabolic processes is of great importance.This review presents studies that have shown different effects of non-calorie sweeteners on carbohydrate and fat metabolism, body weight, the composition of intestinal microbiota, as well as the regulation of eating behavior. Some studies show that low-calorie sugar substitutes can be used in obese people as part of a comprehensive weight loss program, as well as in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with the aim of reducing postprandial hyperglycemia. Other studies demonstrate the negative effect of a number of low-calorie sweeteners on carbohydrate metabolism.The main search for materials was carried out in Pubmed databases, eLIBRARY.ru, Google Scholar. Temporary search criteria 2012–2023 The relevant additional literature was included after a manual search in the literature lists of the included articles.

Sucralose: From Sweet Success to Metabolic Controversies-Unraveling the Global Health Implications of a Pervasive Non-Caloric Artificial Sweetener.

Sucralose is a food additive initially used to mitigate glycemic peaks and calorie intake in patients with diabetes and obesity. Although sucralose has been considered safe for human consumption, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a global alert in 2023 concerning the potential health implications of this artificial sweetener. This review aims to comprehensively explore the effects of sucralose intake on human health by understanding sucralose absorption, metabolism, and excretion. We also outline the role of the sweet taste 1 receptor 3 (T1R3) in mediating sucralose-dependent signaling pathways that regulate satiety, incretin release, and insulin response. Finally, we discuss the impact of sucralose on microbiome dysbiosis, inflammatory response origin, liver damage, and toxicity. Gaining a deeper understanding of the manifold effects of sucralose on human physiology will help promote further studies to ensure its consumption is deemed safe for a broader population, including children, adolescents, and pregnant women.

Pathologists’ perspective on the study design, analysis, and interpretation of proliferative lesions in a lifetime rodent carcinogenicity bioassay of sucralose

Sucralose, a sugar substitute first approved for use in 1991, is a non-caloric sweetener regulated globally as a food additive. Based on numerous experimental animal studies (dating to the 1980s) and human epidemiology studies, international health agencies have determined that sucralose is safe when consumed as intended. A single lifetime rodent carcinogenicity bioassay conducted by the Ramazzini Institute (RI) reported that mice fed diets containing sucralose develop hematopoietic neoplasia, but controversy continues regarding the validity and relevance of these data for predicting health effects in humans. The present paper addresses the controversy by providing the perspective of experienced pathologists on sucralose-related animal toxicity and carcinogenicity data generally, and the RI carcinogenicity bioassay findings specifically, using results from publicly available papers and international regulatory authority decisions. In the authors’ view, flaws in the design, methodology, data evaluation, and reporting of the RI carcinogenicity bioassay for sucralose diminish the value of the data as evidence that this agent represents a carcinogenic hazard to humans. This limitation will remain until the RI bioassay is repeated under Good Laboratory Practices and the design, data, and accuracy of the pathology diagnoses and interpretations are reviewed by qualified pathologists with experience in evaluating potential chemically-induced carcinogenic hazards.

Natural Sweetener Glycyrrhetinic Acid Monoglucuronide Improves Glucose Homeostasis in Healthy Mice.

Noncaloric or low-caloric sweeteners have become popular worldwide, although debates persist regarding their impact on health. To investigate whether the sweeteners are favorable for glucose homeostasis, our study assessed the effects of glycyrrhetinic acid monoglucuronide (GAMG) and several commonly used sweeteners [glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), stevioside, erythritol, sucralose, and aspartame] on glycometabolism and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. The C57BL/6J male mice were exposed to different sweeteners for 10 weeks, and our results showed that GAMG significantly reduced fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels (FBG-control: 3.81 ± 0.42 mmol/L; FBG-GAMG: 3.37 ± 0.38 mmol/L; p < 0.05) and the blood glucose levels 15 and 30 min after sucrose or maltose loading (p < 0.05). Furthermore, it improved glucose tolerance (p = 0.028) and enhanced insulin sensitivity (p = 0.044), while the other sweeteners had negligible or adverse effects on glucose homeostasis. Subsequent experiments showed that GAMG inhibited α-glucosidases potently (IC50 = 0.879 mg·mL-1), increased three SCFA-producing bacteria and SCFAs levels (p < 0.05), and promoted the gene expression of SCFA receptor GPR43 (p = 0.018). These results suggest that GAMG may regulate blood glucose by inhibiting α-glucosidases and modulating gut microbial SCFAs. Our findings prove that GAMG, beneficial to blood glucose regulation, is a promising natural sweetener for future utilization.

Rebaudioside D decreases adiposity and hepatic lipid accumulation in a mouse model of obesity

Overconsumption of added sugars has been pointed out as a major culprit in the increasing rates of obesity worldwide, contributing to the rising popularity of non-caloric sweeteners. In order to satisfy the growing demand, industrial efforts have been made to purify the sweet-tasting molecules found in the natural sweetener stevia, which are characterized by a sweet taste free of unpleasant aftertaste. Although the use of artificial sweeteners has raised many concerns regarding metabolic health, the impact of purified stevia components on the latter remains poorly studied. The objective of this project was to evaluate the impact of two purified sweet-tasting components of stevia, rebaudioside A and D (RebA and RebD), on the development of obesity, insulin resistance, hepatic health, bile acid profile, and gut microbiota in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity. Male C57BL/6 J mice were fed an obesogenic high-fat/high-sucrose (HFHS) diet and orally treated with 50 mg/kg of RebA, RebD or vehicle (water) for 12 weeks. An additional group of chow-fed mice treated with the vehicle was included as a healthy reference. At weeks 10 and 12, insulin and oral glucose tolerance tests were performed. Liver lipids content was analyzed. Whole-genome shotgun sequencing was performed to profile the gut microbiota. Bile acids were measured in the feces, plasma, and liver. Liver lipid content and gene expression were analyzed. As compared to the HFHS-vehicle treatment group, mice administered RebD showed a reduced weight gain, as evidenced by decreased visceral adipose tissue weight. Liver triglycerides and cholesterol from RebD-treated mice were lower and lipid peroxidation was decreased. Interestingly, administration of RebD was associated with a significant enrichment of Faecalibaculum rodentium in the gut microbiota and an increased secondary bile acid metabolism. Moreover, RebD decreased the level of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP). Neither RebA nor RebD treatments were found to impact glucose homeostasis. The daily consumption of two stevia components has no detrimental effects on metabolic health. In contrast, RebD treatment was found to reduce adiposity, alleviate hepatic steatosis and lipid peroxidation, and decrease LBP, a marker of metabolic endotoxemia in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity.

Comparative effect of selected caloric and non-caloric sweeteners on some neuroinflammatory indices in brain cortex and hippocampus of scopolamine-induced rat

Comparative effect of selected caloric and non-caloric sweeteners on some neuroinflammatory indices in brain cortex and hippocampus of scopolamine-induced rat

Value-added product from sugarcane molasses: Conversion of sugarcane molasses to non-caloric sweetener for applications in food and pharmaceutical industries

Molasses is a by-product from sugarcane processing industries that contains some useful natural compounds. This paper proposes a method to produce sucralose, a non-caloric sweetener, from sugarcane molasses. In the first step, sugarcane molasses was converted to dried molasses powder using the low-temperature spray drying process in order to preserve natural compounds. Response surface methodology and artificial neural network were used to determine the experimental condition for maximal bioactive compounds content and antioxidant activity. Dried molasses powder could be produced with maximal values of sucrose yield, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and antioxidant activity. In the final step, sucralose was derived from dried molasses powder. The yield of molasses-derived sucralose obtained from the proposed method was 0.628±0.01 g/g dried molasses powder with the purity of 99.95±0.02 %. The proposed method paves the way to convert sugarcane molasses to a non-caloric sweetener for applications in food and pharmaceutical industries.

Use of table sugar and non-caloric sweeteners in Brazil: associated factors and changes across a decade.

This study evaluated changes in the use of sweeteners over one decade and the relationship between socio-demographics, diet and weight status with the type of sweetener. Data came from the Brazilian National Dietary Surveys of 2008-2009 and 2017-2018, including ≥ 10-year-old individuals (n 32749; n 44744, respectively, after excluding pregnant and lactating women). The use of table sugar, non-caloric sweeteners (NCS), both or none was reported through a specific question. Food consumption was assessed using two non-consecutive food records (2008-2009) and 24-h recalls (2017-2018). For the last survey, means of energy, macro and micronutrient intake, food groups' contribution (%) to daily energy intake and age- and energy-adjusted nutrient intake were estimated according to the type of sweetener used. Differences in means and proportions across the categories of sweeteners used were evaluated based on the 95 % CI. All analyses were stratified by sex and considered sample design and weights. Over 10 years, the use of table sugar decreased by 8 %, while the habit of not using any sweetener increased almost three times, and the use of NCS remained stable. Larger reductions in the use of table sugar were observed in the highest income level and among men. Regardless of sex, compared with NCS users, table sugar users had greater mean intake of energy, carbohydrates and added sugar and lower micronutrient intake means. Although table sugar is still the most used sweetener, the increased choice of 'no sweetener' is noteworthy in Brazil.