Researchers develop new sweetener that is low-calorie and improves gut health

Spain: Researchers in the search for a better sweetener than the currently used ones have reported a new calorie-sweetener that is as sweet as table sugar and could also improve gut health.

The new sweetener is based on galactooligosaccharides and modified mogrosides, these substrates could be considered novel candidate prebiotic sweeteners, according to the study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, foreseeing a feasible and innovative approach to target the reduction of sucrose content in food. When evaluated in human studies, this new ingredient could provide health benefits by combining sweetness and prebiotic fiber functionality. 

The use of artificial sweeteners has increased worldwide because it lets people consume sweets sans calories. However, studies on animals and humans indicate that some of them can lead to increased food consumption and weight gain, as well as other negative health outcomes by stimulating appetite.

Considering the above, researchers have been in search of low-calorie or extremely sweet substances from natural sources as possible replacements. For example, galactooligosaccharides that are found in mammalian milk are low-calorie sugars with a prebiotic activity that can be an energy source for beneficial gut microbes. However, they do not have the same sweetness as table sugar. Alternatively, extracts from the luo han guo fruit contain mogrosides, compounds that are 200 to 300 times sweeter than table sugar. The off-flavors in them can be removed with enzymes. 

Against the above background, F. Javier Moreno, Institute of Food Science Research, CIAL (CSIC-UAM), Nicolas Cabrera, Madrid, Spain, and colleagues aimed to take advantage of the good aspects of both natural substances, using enzymes for modifying mogrosides while simultaneously producing galactooligosaccharides for a brand-new low-calorie sweetener, both were generated through a patented single-pot synthesis.

Trained sensory panelists performed sweetness intensity in vivo. The impact on the human fecal microbiome was assessed by in vitro pH-controlled batch fermentation, and bacterial populations and organic acid concentrations were measured by qPCR and GC-FID, respectively. 

The researchers conclude, "these substrates could be considered as novel candidate prebiotic sweeteners, foreseeing a feasible and innovative approach targeting the sucrose content reduction in food."

"This new ingredient could provide health benefits when assessed in human studies by combining sweetness and prebiotic fiber functionality," they wrote. 

Reference:

J. Agric. Food Chem. 2022, 70, 29, 9048–9056. Publication Date:July 13, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.2c01363