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The market for artificial sweeteners as substitutes for conventional sugar (sucrose) is growing, despite potential health risks associated with their intake. Estimating population usage of artificial sweeteners is therefore crucial, and wastewater analysis can serve as a complement to existing methods. This study evaluated spatial and temporal usage of artificial sweeteners in five Swedish communities based on wastewater analysis. We further compared their levels measured in wastewater with the restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden and assessed health risks to the Swedish population. Influent wastewater samples (n = 194) collected in March 2019-February 2022 from communities in central and southern Sweden were analyzed for acesulfame, saccharin, and sucralose using liquid-chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Spatial differences in loads for individual artificial sweetener were observed, with sucralose being higher in Kalmar (southern Sweden), and acesulfame and saccharin in Enköping and Östhammar (central Sweden). Based on sucrose equivalent doses, all communities showed a consistent prevalence pattern of sucralose > acesulfame > saccharin. Four communities with relatively short monitoring periods showed no apparent temporal changes in usage, but the four-year monitoring in Uppsala revealed a significant (p

Introduction: Forty-four percent of lactating women in the United States consume beverages containing low calorie sweeteners (LCS), and the presence of LCS in the food supply has continued to increase in recent years. While LCS are approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are believed to be safe for human consumption, intergenerational LCS transmission and the health impacts of early life LCS exposure are severely understudied. Methods and analysis: In a tightly controlled, single site, prospective interventional study, mothers' plasma and breast milk, and infants’ plasma will be collected from 40 mother-infant dyads over the course of 72 h, with rich sampling following maternal ingestion of a LCS sweetened beverage containing sucralose and acesulfame potassium (ace-K). Concentration-time data will be used to build maternal and infant pharmacokinetic models for future simulations and analysis. Conclusion: This study aims to measure LCS concentrations in breast milk, maternal plasma, and infant plasma, to gain insight into infant exposure and inform recommendations for LCS consumption during breastfeeding.

Replacing sucrose with non-caloric sweeteners is an approach to avoid overweight and diabetes development. Non-caloric sweeteners are classified into either artificial as sucralose or natural as stevia. Both of them have been approved by FDA, but the effects of their chronic consumption are controversial. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of these two sweeteners, in male and female albino mice, on different blood biochemical parameters, enzymes activities and immunological parameters after 8 and 16 weeks of sweeteners administration. 40.5 mg/ml of sucrose, 5.2 mg/ml of sucralose and 4.2 mg/ml of stevia were dissolved individually in distilled water. Mice were administrated by sweetener's solution for 5 h daily. Male and female mice showed a preference for water consumption with sucralose or stevia. Both of the two sweeteners significantly reduced the hemoglobin level, HCT%, RBCs and WBCs count. After 18 weeks, significant elevations in liver and kidney function enzymes were observed in male and female mice administrated with both non-caloric sweeteners. Histopathological examination in sucralose and stevia administrated groups confirmed the biochemical results; where it revealed a severe damage in liver and kidney sections. While, sucrose administration elevated, only, the levels of ALT, AST and cholesterol in male mice. A vigorous elevation in levels of different immunoglobulin (IgG, IgE and IgA) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and -8), that was accompanied by a significant reduction in level of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, was observed in male and female mice groups administrated with sucralose or stevia. On the other hand, sucrose administration led to an elevation in IgA and reduction in IL-10 levels.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary 3 kinds of sweeteners supplementation on growth performance, serum biochemicals, and jejunal physiological functions of broiler chickens for 21 D. A total of one hundred ninety-two 1-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly divided into 4 treatments with 6 replicates for each treatment. The treatments were basal diet (CON), a basal diet supplemented with 250 mg/kg stevioside (STE), a basal diet supplemented with 100 mg/kg sucralose (SUC), and a basal diet supplemented with 600 mg/kg saccharin sodium (SAC). All birds were housed in 3-level battery cages. The results showed that dietary STE supplementation increased (P

Acesulfame-K, aspartame, cyclamate, neotame, saccharin, and sucralose are highly water-soluble artificial sweeteners (ASs) that are widely used in consumer products and represent a billion USD global market in 2020. In part because they are poorly removed by conventional water treatment, and acesulfame and sucralose also resist biodegradation and advanced oxidation, multiple ASs co-occur in tap water across the globe, generally at ng/L concentrations but also at µg/L concentrations. Through a review of the literature, this is the first research to integrate taste threshold concentrations with concentrations measured in drinking water to assess if consumers’ tap water will taste sweet. The taste threshold concentrations for acesulfame-K, aspartame, cyclamate, neotame, saccharin, and sucralose are 8.94, 6.59, 105.5, 0.24, and 3.49 mg/L, respectively. While reported concentration of artificial sweeteners in tap water are below their known taste thresholds for sweetness and range from ng/L to hundreds of µg/L, binary combinations of ASs can have a more intense sweetness than one artificial sweetener alone, and hard water can enhance the sweetness of acesulfame-K. Additionally, global production and consumption of ASs is expected to increase 2-5% annually; this increase, when coupled with degradation resistance and persistence, will allow AS concentrations to increase in the water cycle. Thus, in order to maintain consumer satisfaction and confidence, the drinking water industry must be vigilant concerning tastants in their tap water at levels and combinations detectable by consumers.

Celiac disease is considered an uncommon digestive disorder induced by gluten protein. The consumption of a gluten-free diet is the primary treatment for this disease. Rice flour has been applied in various gluten-free products. Resistant maltodextrin is a soluble dietary fiber with various physiological properties. This study aimed to investigate the potential of dietary fiber and low-calorie sweeteners on the development of gluten-free low-glycemic-index pancakes. The partial substitution of resistant maltodextrin for Jasmine or Sangyod rice flours and partial substitution of low-calorie sweeteners (stevioside/sucralose) for sucrose were performed and characterized for physicochemical characteristics, in vitro glycemic index, and consumer acceptance for the development of low-glycemic index and gluten-free rice pancakes. Resistant maltodextrin not only reduced glycemic index, but also promoted a soft texture in the rice pancakes by reducing the hardness of pancake samples. For pancake preparation, Jasmine rice flour was preferable with an overall liking score between 5.7 and 6.2. Partial substitution of 25 percent sucralose for bakery sugar, together with partial substitution of 10 percent resistant maltodextrin, provided the low-glycemic index pancake (51.9 ± 1.4 and 49.3 ± 1.7 for both Jasmine and Sangyod rice flour, respectively) and the panelists also assigned a higher overall acceptability score to the pancake prepared with this formula compared to the original formula. In terms of the nutritional profile, partial replacement of Jasmine rice flour and bakery sugar by resistant maltodextrin and sucralose (respectively) decreased the carbohydrate and energy of pancake by 7.34 g and 9.79 kcal, respectively.

Sucralose has raised concerns regarding its safety and recent studies have demonstrated that sucralose consumption can disrupt the normal gut microbiome and alter metabolic profiles in mice. However, the extent to which this perturbation affects the functional interaction between the microbiota and the host, as well as its potential impact on host health, remains largely unexplored. Here, we aimed to investigate whether chronic sucralose consumption, at levels within the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI), could disturb key gut microbial functions and lead to adverse health effects in mice. Following six-month sucralose consumption, several bacterial genera associated with bile acid metabolism were decreased, including Lactobacillus and Ruminococcus. Consequently, the richness of secondary bile acid biosynthetic pathway and bacterial bile salt hydrolase gene were decreased in the sucralose-treated gut microbiome. Compared to controls, sucralose-consuming mice exhibited significantly lower ratios of free bile acids and taurine-conjugated bile acids in their livers. Additionally, several farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonists were decreased in sucralose-treated mice. This reduction in hepatic FXR activation was associated with altered expression of down-stream genes, in the liver. Moreover, the expression of key lipogenic genes was up-regulated in the livers of sucralose-treated mice. Changes in hepatic lipid profiles were also observed, characterized by lower ceramide levels, a decreased PC/PE ratio, and a mildly increase in lipid accumulation. Additionally, sucralose-consumed mice exhibited higher hepatic cholesterol level compared to control mice, with up-regulation of cholesterol efflux genes and down-regulation of genes associated with reverse cholesterol transport. In conclusion, chronic sucralose consumption disrupts FXR signaling activation and perturbs hepatic lipid and cholesterol homeostasis, potentially by diminishing the bile acid metabolic capacity of the gut microbiome. These findings shed light on the complex interplay between sucralose, the gut microbiota, and host metabolism, raising important questions about the safety of its long-term consumption., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare they have no actual or potential competing financial interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Gut microbes play a crucial role in the maintenance of human health. Components in the diet of the host affect their metabolism and diversity. Here, we investigated the influences of three commonly used non-caloric artificial sweeteners-aspartame, acesulfame K and sucralose-on the growth and metabolism of an omnipresent gut microbe Escherichia coli K-12. Methods: Growth of E. coli in the presence of aspartame, acesulfame K and sucralose in media was assessed and the influences of these artificial sweeteners on metabolism were investigated by relative expression analysis of genes encoding the rate limiting steps of important metabolic pathways as well as their global metabolomic profiles. Results: As a whole, E. coli growth was inhibited by aspartame and induced by acesulfame potassium, while the effect of sucralose on growth was less prominent. Although the expressions of multiple key enzymes that regulate important metabolic pathways were significantly altered by all three sweeteners, acesulfame K caused the most notable changes in this regard. In multivariate analysis with the metabolite profiles, the sucralose-treated cells clustered the closest to the untreated cells, while the acesulfame potassium treated cells were the most distant. These sweeteners affect multiple metabolic pathways in E. coli, which include propanoate, phosphonate, phosphinate and fatty acid metabolism, pentose phosphate pathway, and biosynthesis of several amino acids including lysine and the aromatic amino acids. Similar to the gene expression pattern, acesulfame potassium treated E. coli showed the largest deviation in their metabolite profiles compared to the untreated cells.

Sucralose (SUC), an artificial sweetener widely used in food, beverages and pharmaceuticals, is frequently detected in various environmental matrices. Triclosan (TCS) is commonly used as a disinfectant and often co-exists with SUC in sewage environments. This study investigated the effects of SUC (0.1-10 mg/L) on the transmission of intracellular and extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the partial nitrification systems with and without TCS pre-exposure. The reactors operated for 150 days, and SUC did not affect ammonia oxidation performance, while TCS led to the maintenance of partial nitrification. The types and abundances of extracellular ARGs in sludge and free ARGs in water increased significantly after TCS pre-exposure when faced SUC stress, which might be caused by a decrease in α-Helix/(β-Sheet + Random coil). SUC was more easily to enrich ARGs in partial nitrification systems with TCS pre-exposure, exacerbating the risk of ARGs transmission. The microbial community showed stronger relationships to cope with the direct stress of SUC, and the functional bacteria (Thauera and Nitrosomonas) in TCS pre-exposure system might be potential hosts of ARGs. This study might provide insights for better understanding the fates of SUC in partial nitrification systems and the ecological risks in wastewater containing TCS and SUC. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: Sucralose (SUC) is often detected in the environment and considered as an emerging contaminant due to its soaring consumption and environmental persistence. Triclosan (TCS) is an antibacterial agent that often co-exists with SUC in personal care products and sewage environments. During 150 d, two partial nitrification reactors with and without TCS pre-exposure were established to study the effects of SUC on nitrification performance, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and microbial communities. This study showed the refractory nature of SUC, and SUC led to the transmission of extracellular ARGs in partial nitrification system with TCS pre-exposure, exacerbating the risk of ARGs dissemination., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The consumption of artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs) is increasing in some countries. However, some meta-analyses have found that habitual consumers of ASBs (compared with low or no consumption) had an increased risk on some health outcomes. We performed an umbrella review of meta-analyses to grade the credibility of the evidence of claimed observational associations between ASBs and health outcomes. Data were searched in Web of Science, Embase, and PubMed for systematic reviews published up to 25 May 2022, examining association between ASBs and any health outcomes. Certainty of the evidence for each health outcome was obtained based on statistical results of tests used in umbrella reviews. The AMSTAR-2 tool (16 items) was used to identify high-quality systematic reviews. Answers of each item were rated as yes, no, or partial yes (for a partial adherence to the standard). We included data from 11 meta-analyses with unique population, exposure, comparison group, outcome obtained from 7 systematic reviews (51 cohort studies and 4 case-control studies). ASBs were associated with higher risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, all-cause mortality, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease incidence (supported by highly suggestive evidence). Evidence for other outcomes (colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, cancer mortality, cardiovascular mortality, chronic kidney disease, coronary artery disease, and stroke) was weak. Results of the quality assessment of systematic reviews using AMSTAR-2 showed some notable deficiencies: unclear sources of funding of eligible studies and lack of predefined study protocols to guide authors. The consumption of ASBs was associated with a higher risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, all-cause mortality, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease incidence. However, further cohort studies and clinical trials in humans are still needed to understand the impact of ASBs on health outcomes., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Sucralose differs from sucrose only by virtue of having three Cl groups instead of OH groups. Its intriguing features include being noncaloric, noncariogenic, ∼600 times sweeter than sucrose, stable at high temperatures/acidic pH's, and void of disagreeable aftertastes. These properties are attractive as food additive, one of which is as hydrogel obtainable via the technique of molecular gelation using a sucralose-derived low-molecular weight gelator (LMWG). Such hydrogels are highly responsive to external stimuli like temperature, because the LMWGs self-assemble via non-covalent interactions and could thus be utilized in applications like control-release. We found that sucralose to be unreactive under lipase biocatalysis, unlike sucrose. Hence, the aim of this work was (i) to use computational simulations to further understand sucralose's lack of enzymatic reactivity and (ii) to synthesize the sucralose-based amphiphiles using conventional chemical synthesis and systematically study their tendency towards hydrogelation. Sucrose and sucralose were docked with a high-resolution atomic structure of lipase B from Candida antarctica, modeling the esterification transition state with an active site serine. In extended molecular dynamics simulations, sucrose remained in the active site due to multiple sugar-protein hydrogen bonds. The oxygen-to-chlorine substitutions in sucralose disrupted this hydrogen bonding network. Consistent with observed lack of enzymatic conversion, in multiple simulations, sucralose would rapidly dissociate from the active site. The sucralose-based LMWGs were subsequently synthesized using base-catalyzed conventional chemical synthesis. Three of the sucralose-based amphiphiles (SL-5, SL-6 and SL-7) proved to be successful hydrogelators. The gelators also showed the ability to gel selected beverages. The LMWGs gelled quantities of water and beverage up to 71 and 55 times their weight, respectively, and remain thermally stable up to 144 °C., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

As human population growth has expanded in Southwest Florida, water quality has become degraded with an increased occurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABs). Red tide (Karenia brevis) originating offshore, intensifies in nearshore waters along Florida's Gulf Coast, and blue-green algae (Microcystis spp.) originating in Lake Okeechobee is discharged into the Caloosahatchee River. These HABs could be enhanced by anthropogenic nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from adjacent watersheds. North Fort Myers is a heavily developed, low-lying city on the Caloosahatchee River Estuary serviced by septic systems with documented nutrient and bacterial pollution. To identify sources of pollution within North Fort Myers and determine connections with downstream HABs, this multiyear (2017-2020) study examined septic system- groundwater- surface water couplings through the analysis of water table depth, nutrients (N, P), fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), molecular markers (HF183, GFD, Gull2), chemical tracers (sucralose, pharmaceuticals, herbicides, pesticides), stable isotopes of groundwater (δ 15 N-NH 4 , δ 15 N-NO 3 ) and particulate organic matter (POM; δ 15 N, δ 13 C), and POM elemental composition (C:N:P). POM samples were also collected during K. brevis and Microcystis spp. HAB events. Most (>80%) water table depth measurements were too shallow to support septic system functioning (<1.07 m). High concentrations of NH 4 + and NO x N values of groundwater (+4.7‰) were similar to septic effluent (+4.9‰), POM (+4.7‰), and downstream HABs (+4.8 to 6.9‰), indicating a human waste N source. In surface water, FIB were elevated and HF183 was detected, while in groundwater and surface water sucralose, carbamazepine, primidone, and acetaminophen were detected. These data suggest that groundwater and surface water in North Fort Myers are coupled and contaminated by septic system effluent, which is negatively affecting water quality and contributing to the maintenance and intensification of downstream HABs.15 N values of groundwater (+4.7‰) were similar to septic effluent (+4.9‰), POM (+4.7‰), and downstream HABs (+4.8 to 6.9‰), indicating a human waste N source. In surface water, FIB were elevated and HF183 was detected, while in groundwater and surface water sucralose, carbamazepine, primidone, and acetaminophen were detected. These data suggest that groundwater and surface water in North Fort Myers are coupled and contaminated by septic system effluent, which is negatively affecting water quality and contributing to the maintenance and intensification of downstream HABs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) are a focus in marine protection. Several CECs are released with wastewater effluents to coastal environments and their offshore occurrence has been recently documented. Routine monitoring is key for implementing marine protection acts, however infrastructural, financial, and technical limitations hinder this task along broad spatial transects. Here we show the efficacy of a new infrastructure enabling unmanned sampling of surface water from ships of opportunity in providing reliable and cost-effective routine monitoring of CECs along a Europe-Arctic transect. The distribution and long-range transport of several pharmaceuticals and personal care products, artificial food additives, and stimulants were assessed. Validation of operations through strict procedural and analytical quality criteria is presented. A framework to estimate a compound-specific spatial range (SR) index of marine long-range transport based on monitoring results and information on source spatial distribution, is introduced. Estimated SR values ranged 50-350 km depending on compound, yielding a ranking of long-range transport potential which reflected expectations based on degradation half-lives. SR values were used to calculate prior maps of detection probability that can be used to plan future routine monitoring in the region., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Effluent from septic systems can pollute groundwater and surface waters in coastal watersheds. These effects are unknown for the highly urbanized central Indian River Lagoon (CIRL), Florida, where septic systems represent > 50% of wastewater disposal. To better understand these impacts, water quality was assessed along both canals and a tributary that drain into the CIRL. Dissolved nutrient concentrations were higher near septic systems than in natural areas. δ 15 N values of groundwater (+7.2‰), surface water (+5.5‰), and macrophytes (+9.7‰) were within the range for wastewater (>+3‰), as were surface water concentrations of the artificial sweetener sucralose (100 to 1700 ng/L) and fecal indicator bacteria density. These results indicate that septic systems are promoting eutrophication in the CIRL by contributing nutrient pollution to surface water via groundwater. This study demonstrates the need to reduce reliance on septic systems in urbanized coastal communities to improve water quality and subsequently mitigate harmful algal blooms., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

This study is the first focused on the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in different freshwater environments in an urban setting. Groundwater and surface water reservoirs for drinking water as well as water from receiving rivers of the Monterrey Metropolitan Area were sampled repeatedly during a SARS-CoV-2 peak phase between October 2020 and January 2021, and viral RNA was measured by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Forty-four percent of the groundwater samples had detectable viral loads between 2.6 and 38.3 copies/ml. A significant correlation between viral load and sucralose concentration in groundwater reaffirmed the hypothesis of leaching and infiltrating effluent from surface and/or failing sewage pipes and emphasized the importance of water disinfection. Twelve percent of the surface water dam samples tested positive for viral RNA, with values varying between 3.3 and 3.8 copies/ml. Finally, 13% of the river samples were positive for viral RNA, with concentrations ranging from 2.5 to 7.0 copies/ml. Untreated wastewater samples taken in the same period showed viral loads of up to 3535 copies/ml, demonstrating a dilution effect and/or wastewater facilities efficiency of three orders of magnitude. Variations in the viral loads in the groundwater and surface water over time and at the submetropolitan level generally reflected the reported trends in infection cases for Monterrey. The viral loads in the freshwater environments of Monterrey represent a low risk for recreational activities according to a preliminary risk assessment model. However, this result should not be taken lightly due to uncertainty regarding data and model constraints and the possibility of situations where the infection risk may increase considerably., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The excess consumption of added sugar is consistently found to be associated with weight gain, and a higher risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, and stroke. In an effort to reduce the risk of cardiometabolic disease, sugar is frequently replaced by low- and null-calorie sweeteners (LCSs). Alarmingly, though, emerging evidence indicates that the consumption of LCSs is associated with an increase in cardiovascular mortality risk that is amplified in those who are overweight or obese. Sucralose, a null-caloric high-intensity sweetener, is the most commonly used LCS worldwide, which is regularly consumed by healthy individuals and patients with metabolic disease. To explore a potential causal role for sucralose in increased cardiovascular risk, this present review summarizes the preclinical and clinical data from current research detailing the effects of sucralose on systems controlling food intake, glucose homeostasis, and gut microbiota., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society for Nutrition.)

The effect of two disaccharide analogues, sucrose and sucralose, on the phase stability of aqueous lysozyme solutions has been addressed from a mechanistic viewpoint by a combination of experiment and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The influence of the added low molecular weight salts (NaBr, NaI and NaNO 3 ) was considered as well. The cloud-point temperature measurements revealed a larger stabilizing effect of sucralose. Upon increasing sugar concentration, the protein solutions became more stable and differences in the effect of sucralose and sucrose amplified. It was confirmed that the addition of either of the two sugars imposed no secondary structure changes of the lysozyme. Enthalpies of lysozyme-sugar mixing were exothermic and a larger effect was recorded for sucralose. MD simulations indicated that acidic, basic and polar amino acid residues play predominant roles in the sugar-protein interactions, mainly through hydrogen bonding. Such sugar mediated protein-protein interactions are thought to be responsible for the biopreserative nature of sugars. Our observations hint at mechanistic differences in sugar-lysozyme interactions: while sucrose does not interact directly with the protein's surface for the most part (in line with the preferential hydration hypothesis ), sucralose forms hydrogen bonds with acidic, basic and polar amino acid residues at the lysozyme's surface (in line with the water replacement hypothesis )., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Background and Aim: The overconsumption of sucrose is closely related to sugar-sweetened beverages and one of the main factors associated with the increase of metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, and insulin resistance. So, the addition of alternative sweeteners to new fruit-based drinks could contribute to minimizing the incidence or severity of these pathologies. Nevertheless, current knowledge on the influence of these additives on the bioactive compounds present in these beverages is still scarce.new-onset hypertension, but few data were published in Asian. We aimed to investigate the association of lipid profiles with new-onset hypertension in a Chinese community-based non-hypertensive cohort without lipid-lowering treatment (n = 1802)., Methods and Results: Hence, to contribute to the understanding of this issue, the plasma concentration of phenolic compounds (anthocyanins and flavanones), after the ingestion of a new maqui-citrus-based beverage, supplemented with sucrose (natural high caloric), stevia (natural non-caloric), or sucralose (artificial non-caloric), was evaluated as evidence of their intestinal absorption and metabolism previous to renal excretion. The beverages were ingested by volunteers (n = 20) and the resulting phenolic metabolites in plasma were analyzed by UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS. A total of 13 metabolites were detected: caffeic acid sulfate, caffeic acid glucuronide, 3,4-dihydroxyfenylacetic, 3,4-dihydroxyfenylacetic sulfate. 3,4-dihydroxyfenylacetic acid di-sulfate, 3,4-dihydroxyfenylacetic di-glucuronide, 3,4-dihydroxyfenylacetic glucuronide-sulfate, trans-ferulic acid glucuronide, naringenin glucuronide, vanillic acid, vanillic acid sulfate, vanillic acid glucuronide-sulfate, and vanillic acid di-glucuronide, being recorded their maximum concentration after 30-60 min., Conclusion: In general, sucralose provided the greatest absorption value for most of these metabolites, followed by stevia. Due to this, the present study proposes sucralose and stevia (non-caloric sweeteners) as valuable alternatives to sucrose (high caloric sweetener), to avoid the augmented risk of several metabolic disorders., (Copyright © 2020 The Italian Diabetes Society, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Artificial sweeteners (AS) are widely used as sugar substitutes because natural sweetener (sugar) leads to a number of health issues, including diabetes, obesity, and tooth decay. Since natural sugar (sucrose), diabetes and skin are highly interlinked, and also sucrose is known to inhibit the fibrillation of collagen, the major protein of the skin, a study on the impact of AS on collagen is important and essential. Herein, we have studied the influence of commonly used AS such as Sucralose (SUC), Aspartame (APM), and Saccharin (SAC) on the structure, stability, and fibrillation of collagen using various spectroscopic methods. The circular dichroism and turbidity results suggest that the AS does not disrupt the triple helix structure and also the fibrillar property of collagen, respectively. The fibrillar morphology was sustained, although there was a trivial difference in the entanglement of fibrils in the presence of SAC, compared to native collagen fibrils. The thermal stability of collagen is maintained in the presence of AS. Fluorescence and STD-NMR results indicate that the interaction between AS and collagen was weak, which supports the intact structure, stability, and fibrillation property of collagen. The current study thus suggests that the chosen AS does not influence collagen properties., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Observational investigations into the health impacts of low-calorie sweeteners (LCSs) in humans fail to adequately identify or fully characterize LCS consumption., Objectives: We aimed to utilize a novel biomarker approach to investigate exposure to 5 LCSs and to test whether reported low-calorie sweetened beverage (LCSB) consumption effectively identifies exposure to LCSs in adults., Methods: In this cross-sectional analysis, 2 population studies were conducted in adults. Urinary excretions of 5 LCSs, namely acesulfame-K, saccharin, cyclamate, sucralose, and steviol glycosides, were simultaneously determined using LC tandem-MS. In Study 1, previously collected 24-h urine samples (n = 357) were analyzed. In Study 2, previously collected 24-h urine samples (n = 79) were analyzed to compare urinary excretions of LCSs with self-reported LCSB consumption for identifying LCS exposure. Exposure to LCSs was characterized using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were performed to assess associations between age-groups and LCS excretion, and to assess the proportion of individuals identified as LCS consumers using biomarker data or reported LCSB consumption., Results: A total of 341 adults (45% men) and 79 adults (39% men) were included in the final analysis of Studies 1 and 2, respectively. In Study 1, >96% of samples contained ≥1 LCS and almost 60% contained ≥3 LCSs. A greater proportion of younger adults (<40 y old) excreted ≥3 LCSs than older adults (>40 y old) (P < 0.001). In Study 2, a much higher prevalence of LCS consumption was observed using biomarker data (92%) than reported LCSB consumption (6%) (P < 0.001)., Conclusions: This work indicates widespread exposure to LCSs, suggesting that population-based research to date into LCS exposure and health may be flawed. Therefore, a urinary biomarker approach offers considerable potential for more robust investigations in this area., (Copyright © The Author(s) on behalf of the American Society for Nutrition 2020.)

Artificial sweeteners (ASs) are emerging polar organic contaminants, which can chelate with heavy metals in the environment. Recently, the ASs have been widely detected in the aquatic environment. However, little is known about the influence of ASs on the mobility and toxicity of heavy metals associated in sediment. In the present study, the release of heavy metals from a lake sediment and the toxicity to a green algae Scenedesmus obliquus were examined in the presence of two most frequently detected ASs, acesulfame and sucralose, and humic acid (HA), respectively. The existence of 1.00-100 mg/L of acesulfame, sucralose, and HA enhanced the release rates (R release ) of Cd, Cu, and Pb from the virgin lake sediment significantly by up to 46.7%, 86.0%, and 79.9%, respectively. Further, the results from microcosm experiments revealed that the existence of 1.00-10.0 mg/L of acesulfame, sucralose, and HA in the water phase prompted the release and toxicity of heavy metals associated with Cd- and Cu-spiked sediment, and the promotion capacity followed the order of HA > acesulfame > sucralose. The inhibitions on cell-specific growth rate (μ) of the algae were found increasing significantly with the elevated levels of acesulfame and HA (p < 0.05). Additionally, photosynthesis of the algae was affected by the co-existence of ASs or HA and heavy metals released from sediments, as indicated by the changes in fluorescence parameters. The present study provides valuable insight into the likelihood of the combined effect of ASs and heavy metals on aquatic organisms., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The effect of nonnutritive sweeteners on appetite is controversial. Some studies have found changes in certain appetite control hormones with sucralose intake that may be through interaction with sweet taste receptors located in the intestine., Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether sucralose consumption could produce changes in fasting plasma concentrations of appetite-regulating hormones, including glucagon-like peptide 1, ghrelin, peptide tyrosine tyrosine, and leptin, and secondarily in insulin resistance., Design: A 2-week parallel randomized clinical trial with an additional visit conducted 1 week after dosing termination., Participants/setting: Sixty healthy, normal-weight individuals, without habitual consumption of nonnutritive sweeteners were recruited from July 2015 to March 2017 in Mexico City., Intervention: Daily sucralose consumption at 15% of the acceptable daily intake by using commercial sachets added to food. The control group followed the same protocol without an intervention., Main Outcomes Measured: Fasting concentrations of appetite regulating hormones before and after the intervention. Fasting glucose and insulin concentrations were measured to assess insulin resistance as a secondary outcome., Statistical Analysis Performed: Basal and final concentrations were compared using Wilcoxon matched-pairs test and Mann-Whitney U test for analysis between groups. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to evaluate changes in the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance., Results: Sucralose was not associated with changes in any of the hormones measured. One week postintervention, an incremental change (P=0.04) in the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance was found in the intervention group., Conclusions: Sucralose intake is not associated with changes in fasting concentrations of glucagon-like peptide 1, ghrelin, peptide tyrosine tyrosine, or leptin. An increase in the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance observed only at 1 week postdosing is of unknown clinical significance, if any., (Copyright © 2020 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary 3 kinds of sweeteners supplementation on growth performance, serum biochemicals, and jejunal physiological functions of broiler chickens for 21 D. A total of one hundred ninety-two 1-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly divided into 4 treatments with 6 replicates for each treatment. The treatments were basal diet (CON), a basal diet supplemented with 250 mg/kg stevioside (STE), a basal diet supplemented with 100 mg/kg sucralose (SUC), and a basal diet supplemented with 600 mg/kg saccharin sodium (SAC). All birds were housed in 3-level battery cages. The results showed that dietary STE supplementation increased (P < 0.05) growth performance, serum total protein, serum albumin, and jejunal antioxidant capacity of broiler chickens. Both SUC and SAC supplementation decreased (P < 0.05) serum total protein and albumin. Dietary SAC supplementation impaired the intestinal integrity, permeability, and mucus layer of the jejunum in broiler chickens. In addition, SAC supplementation elevated (P < 0.05) the transcription expression level of jejunal bitter taste receptors and induced excessive jejunal apoptosis. Our data suggest that STE could be potentially applied as a growth-promoting and antioxidant feed additive in broiler chickens. Whereas, dietary supplementation with high level SAC has side-effects on the jejunal physiological functions of broiler chickens., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

In an effort to reduce sugar consumption to prevent diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases, "sugar-free" or "no added sugar" products that substitute sugar with non-nutritive sweeteners (NNSs) (eg, Splenda, Sweet'N Low, and Stevia) have become increasingly popular. The use of these products during pregnancy has also increased, with approximately 30% of pregnant women reporting intentional NNS consumption. In clinical studies with nonpregnant participants and animal models, NNSs were shown to alter gut hormonal secretion, glucose absorption, appetite, kidney function, in vitro insulin secretion, adipogenesis, and microbiome dysbiosis of gut bacteria. In pregnant animal models, NNS consumption has been associated with altered sweet taste preference later in life and metabolic dysregulations in the offspring (eg, elevated body mass index, increased risk of obesity, microbiome dysbiosis, and abnormal liver function tests). Despite the accumulating evidence, no specific guidelines for NNS consumption are available for pregnant women. Furthermore, there are limited clinical studies on the effects of NNS consumption during pregnancy and postpartum and long-term outcomes in the offspring., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Narragansett Bay is an urban estuary that historically has been impacted by long-term discharge of sanitary wastewater (WW) effluents. High-density water sampling was conducted in Narragansett Bay, RI, USA, in an effort to understand the distribution and behavior of sucralose, an artificial sweetener that has shown utility as a sanitary wastewater tracer. Water samples were collected at sixty-seven sites and analyzed for sucralose, whose performance was compared to other tracers present in wastewater effluents. Concentrations of sucralose were much higher than the other tracers measured, carbamazepine and caffeine, ranging from 18 to 3180 ng/L and corresponded well with salinity (r 2  = 0.88), demonstrating conservative behavior throughout the Bay. Mapped interpolation data using an empirical bayesian kriging model clearly show the spatial trends of WW and how estuarine processes influence dilution and dispersion throughout the Bay. These findings provide further evidence of the efficacy of sucralose as a wastewater tracer in large urban estuaries where continuous high-volume discharge of WW occur., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Sucralose, one kind of "sugar-free" artificial sweeteners, is widely used as food and drinks additives. It is generally considered that sucralose is safe because majority of ingested sucralose is not metabolized and absorbed by human body. However, increasing evidence shows the negative effects of artificial sweeteners in perturbations of gut microbiota which plays an important role in a variety of processes related to host health such as immune system development. Specifically, sucralose uptake can alter the homeostasis of mouse gut microbiota, resulting in the significant changes of gut bacterial genera diversity, metabolic patterns, and fecal metabolite profiles as well as inducing host liver inflammation. Therefore, there is a need to study liver proteome changes which may be potentially affected by sucralose-induced dysbiosis. In this study, isobaric labeling-based quantitative proteomics was performed to reveal the liver functional proteome changes in male C57BL/6J mice with sucralose administration in drinking water for six-month period. The labeled tryptic peptides were off-line fractionated before LC-MS/MS analysis to improve proteome coverage detected. SIGNIFICANCE: We demonstrated the first quantitative proteomics for mice liver proteome to evaluate the effect of sucralose consumption. In total, >5700 protein groups were identified from 18 mouse liver tissues (9 from control group; 9 from sucralose-treated group), and 4327 protein groups were quantified in all samples without any missing values. Among them, 113 protein groups were identified with statistical significance (q value <0.05) as differentially expressed proteins. Bioinformatics analysis revealed the systematic dysregulations of protein metabolism after sucralose treatment. Importantly, our findings proposed that enhanced inflammation may be triggered by ribosomal inactivation in sucralose treated mice liver., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Artificial sweeteners (ASs) are used in countless application in daily life. ASs are newly recognized as pollutants due to their high detection frequency in various environmental media, which has aroused great concern. This review presents the current knowledge of AS ecotoxicity and possible elimination routes in the environment. The obtained results indicate that the negative impacts of ASs are more severe than previously expected. More attention should be paid to the chronic and metabolite toxicities of ASs. Moreover, numerous processes (physical, chemical and biological) have been reported to be able to degrade ASs. However, the elimination efficiency varies greatly depending on the specific AS and the particular experimental conditions. Cyclamate and saccharin are easily removed, while sucralose and acesulfame are generally persistent. Additionally, there is a large gap in the ASs removal efficiency between bench tests and full-scale studies. The potential for microbial degradation of persistent ASs was reported in some regions, but clarification of the underlying mechanisms is necessary to increase the likelihood of using this approach in wide applications with a satisfactory performance., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)