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This work demonstrated the promise of using industrial-grade sugar syrups derived from corn and wood, i.e., high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), glucose corn syrup (GCS) and wood-based sugar (TMP-Bio Sugar), as cheaper and competitive feedstocks for 5-HMF production using niobium phosphate as a heterogeneous solid acid catalyst in a biphasic continuous-flow tubular reactor. 5-HMF yield as high as 53.1% with 100% sugar (glucose and fructose) conversion was obtained from catalytic dehydration of HFCS-90 (containing 90 wt% fructose) at 150 °C, with feed concentration of 200 mg/ml (glucose and fructose) and aqueous to organic phase ratio of 1:5 (v/v). Catalyst stability with time was tested over 20 h of continuous-time on stream, and the reusability of the catalyst was studied after in-situ regeneration of the used catalyst by calcination in the air for removing the deposited humins and coke on the surface of the catalyst particles. The regenerated catalyst showed good activity with almost constant selectivity, although at lower glucose conversion and reduced 5-HMF yield compared to the fresh catalyst, indicating that the in-situ regeneration process could recover a part of the acid sites on the catalyst surface. The produced humins during the reaction were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and elemental analysis (CHNS). The results showed high aromaticity and the presence of a high degree of unsaturated compounds in the structure of humins.

Glucose isomerase (GI), an enzyme with deserved high potential in the world market. GI plays a major role in high Fructose Corn Syrup Production (HFCS). HFCS is used as a sweetener in food and pharmaceutical industries. Streptomyces are well-known producers of various industrially valuable enzymes, including Glucose isomerase. Currently, recombinant strains have been available for the production of various enzymes, but it has limitation in the large scale production. Therefore, identifying effective streptomyces strains have emerged. The current study, the novel S. lividans RSU26 was isolated from a marine source and optimized its potential to produce glucose isomerase at different physical and chemical conditions. The optimum pH and temperature for GI and biomass production were 7.5 and 35 °C, respectively at 96 h. Characterization study revealed that the approximate molar mass of GI was 43 kDa for monomeric and 170 kDa for tetrameric forms. Kinetic behavior exhibits Km, and Vmax values for the conversion of fructose to glucose conversion were 48.8 mM and 2.54 U mg−1 at 50 °C and glucose to fructose were 29.4 mM and 2.38 U mg−1 at 65 °C protein, respectively. Therefore, the present study suggested that the wild–type S. lividans RSU26 has strong potential to produce glucose isomerase for various industrial applications. Keywords: Streptomyces, Glucose isomerase, Optimization, Purification, Kinetics

In this study, the effect of probiotic fermentation by Lactobacillus plantarum on the chemical and functional properties of liquorice root extract was investigated. The samples were fortified with different concentrations of high fructose corn syrup and the changes in major metabolites including sugars and acids were analyzed by HPLC. The antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds were also monitored during fermentation. Results indicated that L. plantarum was able to grow in the liquorice extract at different conditions, reaching a population of 108 CFU/ml after 48 h. In the samples with lower initial concentration of sugar, L. plantarum exhausted nearly all the available glucose in the sample. By increasing sugar percentage in the liquorice extract, the rate of glucose and fructose degradation decreased, significantly. The concentration of malic acid in all samples decreased significantly during fermentation. Lactic acid was produced as the major fermentation product. The total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the liquorice extract were increased significantly, after fermentation. From this investigation, it can be concluded that fermented liquorice root extract could be a promising source for the formulation of new generations of functional beverages.

The consumption of sugar and sweeteners have been associated with obesity and diabetes, which are public health problems in Mexico. Since 1994, imports of sweeteners for the elaboration of ultra-processed food and beverages increased in the country. This increase in imports may have increased the apparent consumption of sweeteners which could be associated with the implementation of the NAFTA that gradually eliminated tariffs on sugars. However, no study has estimated trends in apparent consumption by type of sugar, and its association with NAFTA in Mexico. Therefore, we analyzed trends in apparent consumption of sugar and sweeteners, and its contribution to energy from 1961 to 2013. We assessed if the gradual implementation of NAFTA in 1994, 1998, 2003 and 2008 was associated with changes in the consumption of sugar and sweeteners in Mexico using the Food Balance Sheet data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. We estimated an interrupted time series analysis with synthetic controls using OECD countries, to assess the association between NAFTA and changes in the type of sugar consumed. We found that between 1961 and 2013, the contribution of sugars to daily energy increased from 243 to 456 (243 to 456 kcal/capita/day). Until 1993, the consumption of sweeteners was 0.20 kg/capita/year and in 2013 reached 12.9 kg/capita/year, representing 20% of total sugar consumption. The consumption of sweeteners increased 2.93 kcal/capita/day after the NAFTA was implemented in 1994. However, there was a reduction in apparent consumption of −2.95 kcal/capita/day between 1998 and 2002, concurrent with the implementation of a 12.5% ad valorem compensatory duty to high fructose corn syrup imports from the US. Consumption increased again 7.7 kcal/capita/day between 2003 and 2007 and up to 10.4 kcal/capita/day after 2008 when the NAFTA was fully implemented. We found a significant increase in the apparent consumption of sweeteners associated with NAFTA but we did not find a conclusive evidence when we estimates total sugars and sweeteners together because we lacked an adequate control group. Sweeteners are mainly used for producing beverages and processed food, so its consumption should be discouraged by improving the existing package of interventions in Mexico, including a 20–30% increase to current taxes that have proven to be effective to reduce sugar sweetened beverages and nonessential energy dense food but whose existing rates are relatively small; improving front of package labelling, monitoring compliance in school regulations for food and beverages sold and improving marketing regulations directed to children.

The aim of the present research was to study the formation of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) during digestive process of meal-resembling systems. An average meal (protein, starch and oil) and sugar-containing meals (protein and glucose or fructose or high fructose corn syrup (HCFS)) were tested. Intestinal simple amino acid systems were also analyzed to gain insight into their contribution to the Maillard reaction (MR). Decrease of lysine (11.7–34%), arginine (24–35%) and other amino acids occurred after digestion of the meals. Fructosamine (42.6 ± 4.7 and 332.9 ± 10.4 μg/ml) and fluorescent adducts (22,270 ± 119.6 and 9283 ± 188.3 RFU) were detected in digests of those meals containing HCFS and starch, respectively. Carboxymethyllysine (CML) (5.03 ± 1.09 μg/ml) and MGO-derivative AGEs (12.2 ± 1.5 μg/ml) were found in the meals composed of fructose and only MGO-derivative AGEs (12.2 ± 1.6 μg/ml) in presence of glucose. Physiological intestinal concentrations (43 mM) of sugars in simplified systems composed by single amino acids caused formation of MRPs under digestive conditions. Arginine and fructose (314 mM) showed formation of fructosamine and different AGEs. Fructose (43 mM) gave rise to CML by interaction with lysine, which was observed within 1 h of incubation at intestinal conditions. These conditions are possible in the intestine during fructose malabsorption. The results suggest the importance of using meal systems for better understanding of complex chemical events taking place during digestion such as MR. This is the first study proposing the formation of non-fluorescent AGEs associated to the pathogenesis of diabetes during digestion of sugar containing and average meals. This formation may be possible in conditions where sugar absorption is delayed such as fructose malabsorption or intake of a fatty meal. The occurrence of the MR during the digestion process may reduce the bioavailability of essential amino acids and increase the production of MRPs causing health disorders., This study was funded by the SUSCOFFEE (AGL2014-57239-R) project and carried out in collaboration with the Division of Nephrology of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital (New York, USA). Martinez-Saez, N. thanks the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), Spain, for her FPI-predoc fellowship and the financial support for the short stay at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Division of Nephrology, New York, USA.

Methyl lactate (MLA), a versatile biomass platform, was typically produced from the catalytic conversion of high-priced fructose in most research studies. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a mixture of glucose, fructose, and water, and an economical substitute for fructose to produce MLA due to the much lower cost of separation and drying processes. However, the transformation of HFCS to MLA is still a challenge due to its complex components and the presence of water. In this work, the catalytic conversion of HFCS to MLA over CoO@silicalite-1 catalyst synthesized via a straightforward post citric acid treatment has been reported. The maximum MLA yield reached 43.8% at 180 oC for 18 h after optimizing the reaction conditions and Co loading. Interestingly, adding extra 3% water could further increase the MLA yield, implying that our CoO@silicalite-1 catalyst is also capable for upgrading wet HFCS. As a result, the costly drying process of wet HFCS can be avoided. Moreover, the activity of CoO@silicalite-1 catalyst can be regenerated for at least four cycles via facile calcination in air. This study, therefore, will provide a new opportunity to not only solve the HFCS-overproduction issues but also produce value-added MLA.

We recently reported on fixed-path length laser-induced sound pinging (FPL-LISP) as a rapid photoacoustic technique employing an inexpensive benchtop tattoo-removal laser for reliably determining the speed of sound in low-volume fluids. In this contribution, we demonstrate the capacity of FPL-LISP to analyze representative commercial beverages for their natural or artificial sweetener contents. As a benchmark, the speed of sound was determined for solutions of sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose), mock high fructose corn syrup (HFCS-55), and 12 household sweeteners (culinary sugars, syrups, honey, molasses) across the concentration range of 1-20% w/v in water, simulating the typical sweetener range found in commercial soft drinks. The setup was then employed to estimate sweetener contents of 26 popular commercial beverages using the HFCS-55 standard curve as a training data set. Our results are remarkably consistent with the label values for these representative commercial beverages, in spite of the fact that some beverages clearly employ a sweetener other than HFCS-55 or a proprietary blend, suggesting the excellent potential of the FPL-LISP setup as a quick screening tool well-suited to quality control and real-time assessment in the beverage and fermentation industrial sectors. The proposed approach represents a significant improvement over many existing methods on the basis of measurement time (down to 1 s, which can be considered real time for many applications), lenient sample requirements (tens of microliters to 1 mL), robust and user-friendly analysis, practical considerations (e.g., economical, minimal service and maintenance concerns), and prospects for advancing both online monitoring and fully portable versions of this instrumentation.

Introduction: Childhood obesity remains high in prevalence. Sugar-sweetened beverages containing high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) are a common source of excess calories among children and adolescents. Fructose metabolism differs from glucose metabolism, which may also differ from fructose + glucose metabolism in HFCS consumption. The purpose of this study was to determine the acute metabolic effects of HFCS ingestion after soft drink consumption in adolescents who are lean, have overweight/obesity, or have type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Methods: Adolescents age 13–19 years were recruited into three groups: lean controls (n = 10), overweight/obese without diabetes (n = 10), or uncomplicated T2DM on metformin monotherapy (n = 5). After an overnight fast, subjects drank 12 ounces of soda containing HFCS. Blood samples were collected at time zero and every 15 min for 120 min to be analyzed for fructose, glucose, and insulin levels. Results: Glucose and fructose concentrations rose quickly in the first 15 min. Fructose, which was very low at baseline, rose to 100–200 μM and remained higher than fasting concentrations even at 120 min in all groups. Glucose increased after soft drink consumption, with the highest concentrations among subjects with T2DM, but returned to baseline fasting levels at 120 min. Insulin levels increased 15 min after soft drink consumption and were the highest in the obese group. Lactate rose non-significantly in all subjects, with no differences between groups. Conclusion: Among adolescents who are lean, overweight/obese, or have T2DM, drinking an HFCS-containing soft drink exposes the liver to fructose. Glucose excursions in T2DM may be impacted by exaggerated glucose cycling, or fructose metabolism to glucose. The context of fructose consumption with or without other carbohydrates is an important consideration in studies of fructose metabolism. Keywords: Obesity, Diabetes, High fructose corn syrup, Glucose

Glucose isomerase (GI) responsible for catalyzing the isomerization from d-glucose to d-fructose, was an important enzyme for producing high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). In a quest to prepare HFCS at elevated temperature and facilitate enzymatic recovery, an effective procedure for whole cell immobilization of refractory Thermus oshimai glucose isomerase (ToGI) onto Celite 545 using tris(hydroxymethyl)phosphine (THP) as crosslinker was established. The immobilized biocatalyst showed an activity of approximate 127.3 U/(g·immobilized product) via optimization in terms of cells loading, crosslinker concentration and crosslinking time. The pH optimum of the immobilized biocatalyst was displaced from pH 8.0 of native enzyme to neutral pH 7.0. Compared with conventional glutaraldehyde (GLU)-immobilized cells, it possessed the enhanced thermostability with 70.1% residual activity retaining after incubation at 90°C for 72 h. Moreover, the THP-immobilized biocatalyst exhibited superior operational stability, in which it retained 85.8% of initial activity after 15 batches of bioconversion at 85°C. This study paved a way for reducing catalysis cost for upscale preparation of HFCS with higher d-fructose concentration.

Adolescence is a critical period of development, during which the brain undergoes rapid maturation. Problematically, adolescents are the top consumers of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) sweetened beverages and snacks, which may have neurodevelopmental consequences. While HFCS consumption has been linked to an increased likelihood of obesity and other physical health impairments, the link between HFCS and persistent behavioral changes is not yet fully established. The present study aimed to assess whether adolescent HFCS consumption could lead to alterations in adult behaviors and protein expression, following cessation. Adolescent HFCS-exposure contributed to deficits in learning and motivation on an effort-related T-Maze procedure, as well as increased immobility time in the forced swim paradigm during adulthood. Molecularly, protracted decreases in accumbal dopamine D1 and D2 receptors and protein kinase G (PKG), as well as increases in tyrosine hydroxylase and GluA2 receptor subunits, were observed following HFCS-exposure. Taken together, these data suggest that adolescent HFCS-consumption leads to protracted dysfunction in affective behaviors and alterations in accumbal proteins which persist following cessation of HFCS-consumption.

The present study investigates how consumers perceive organic-certified versus non-certified natural foods relative to each other, compares motives for purchasing them, and explores how these influence purchase behaviors toward the combined natural foods category. Analysis of a USA shopper survey finds there are still pronounced differences in perceptions, trust, and willingness to pay. Some 57% of respondents agree at a level of 4 or 5 (out of 5) that there are differences between organic-certified and non-certified natural foods. Mean levels of trust for natural and certified organic labels are 2.67 and 3.50 respectively. Consumers are willing to pay price premiums of 25% and 37% for non-certified and organic-certified respectively. Results show shoppers have shared and different motives for purchasing. No added growth hormones and No artificial additives or preservatives are the two reasons that appear in the top five for purchasing organic-certified and non-certified foods. Other top five reasons for organic-certified are agriculture oriented: No chemical pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers, No antibiotics, and USDA organic certification. Other top five reasons for non-certified are processing oriented: No artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners, Minimal processing, and No high fructose corn syrup. Some of these differences influence intended purchase behaviors. Trust in organic-certified and non-certified labels affects willingness to pay. Four of the organic-certified attributes have a relationship with one or more of purchase frequency, number of items per trip, weekly spending, and willingness to pay.

Honey adulteration is a highlighted global issue in the modern food supply chain, the most commonly seen case is to cut honey with cheap and easily available sugar-based sweeteners, such as high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). To acquire a precise impedimetric response from such a high resistance sample, a low cell constant (13.9 cm−1) electrochemical chamber composed of two identical bare gold electrodes was developed for investigating the impedimetric differences among pure honey, blended honey, and HFCS. Charge transfer resistance (RCT) and logarithmic impedance (Log Z, in a broad frequency range of 101–105 Hz) were useful to discriminate all pure honeys from blended honeys with good resolution and reproducibility (relative standard deviations of RCT and Log Z were both less than 3% in triplicate tests). The data acquisition time for obtaining RCT and Log Z were only 3 min and 4 s, respectively, which means the proposed sensing approach is suitable for routine rapid screening purpose.

Glucose isomerase (GI) is a key enzyme in the preparation of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). In this study, a mutant TEGI-M-L38 M/V137 L (TEGI-M2) of glucose isomerase (TEGI-M) originated from Thermoanaerobacter ethanalicus CCSD1 was obtained by site-directed mutagenesis. The TEGI-M2 showed an optimal activity at 85 ℃ and pH 6.5 with the divalent cations Co2+ and Mg2+. The structural differences between TEGI-M and TEGI-M2 were investigated based on the homology modeling and molecular docking, to elucidate the mechanism of improvement in the enzymatic properties. Compared with the original enzyme, the TEGI-M2 showed a 2.0-fold increased enzyme activity and a decreased Km from 234.2 mM to 85.9 mM. Finally, the application of mutant TEGI-M2 in HFCS one-step biosynthesis was attempted, resulting in a d-fructose yield of 67.3 %, which was 14.3 % higher than that of TEGI-M. This improved catalytic performance of TEGI-M2 was of great importance for the industrial preparation of d-fructose in one-step process.

Salmonellosis has been frequently associated with the consumption of high-sugar, low-moisture foods. Honey and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) are widely used liquid sugars that are added as humectants in low-moisture foods. The objective of this study was to determine the ability of Salmonella and its presumable surrogate, Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354, to survive in honey and HFCS during storage at room temperature (~22 °C). Using freeze-dried and lawn grown bacteria, the survival of Salmonella and E. faecium in honey and HFCS was determined. Regardless of the inoculation methods, more than 5 log10 reductions were observed in both bacteria in honey and HFCS after 21-days of storage at 22 °C. The pathogens and surrogate in honey and HFCS fell below the detectable limit after 28-days of storage. Thus, the tested bacteria are not able to survive in honey and HFCS over one-month storage at room temperature. The similar level of bacterial reduction in honey and HFCS in storage suggests that the main cause was not the commonly perceived antimicrobial agents in honey. In addition to high acidity of these liquid sugars, the extremely high osmotic pressure is likely the main reason for bacterial death in honey and HFCS during storage. The data provided useful information in developing effective microbial-safe strategies to be incorporated in the preparation or storage of low-moisture food and ingredients.

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) was used for qualitative and quantitative detection of honey adulterated with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) or maltose syrup (MS). Competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) was employed to select key variables. Partial least squares linear discriminant analysis (PLS-LDA) was adopted to classify the adulterated honey samples. The CARS-PLS-LDA models showed an accuracy of 86.3% (honey vs. adulterated honey with HFCS) and 96.1% (honey vs. adulterated honey with MS), respectively. PLS regression (PLSR) was used to predict the extent of adulteration in the honeys. The results showed that NIR combined with PLSR could not be used to quantify adulteration with HFCS, but could be used to quantify adulteration with MS: coefficient (Rp2) and root mean square of prediction (RMSEP) were 0.901 and 4.041 for MS-adulterated samples from different floral origins, and 0.981 and 1.786 for MS-adulterated samples from the same floral origin (Brassica spp.), respectively.

The methodology of internal standard which relies on the difference between the isotopic composition in terms of δ 13 C of honey and its proteins, has been extensively used in many countries to assess honey adulteration with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) or other C4-adulterants, but there have been no reports of such studies in Uruguay. To obtain this information, 51 honey samples were collected from different outlets in two Uruguayan regions. The δ 13 C composition of honey varied between −26.89 and −23.72‰, while that of its proteins ranged between −26.49 and −24.61‰. When the international value of −1.0‰ was used as the maximum accepted difference between the isotopic values of proteins and honeys, it was determined that 5.9% of samples were adulterated with HFCS, but when this limit was replaced by the locally determined threshold of 0.80‰, the proportion of adulterated samples increased to 7.8%. Both values, however, were lower than most of those reported internationally, which suggest that honey fraud is not widespread in Uruguay.

Background: Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and low-grade chronic inflammation are both independently associated with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Fructose, a major component of SSBs, may acutely trigger inflammation, which may be one link between SSB consumption and cardiometabolic disease. Objective: We sought to determine whether beverages sweetened with fructose, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), and glucose differentially influence systemic inflammation [fasting plasma C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 (IL-6) as primary endpoints] acutely and before major changes in body weight. Secondary endpoints included adipose tissue inflammation, intestinal permeability, and plasma fetuin-A as potential mechanistic links between fructose intake and low-grade inflammation. Design: We conducted a randomized, controlled, double-blind, crossover design dietary intervention (the Diet and Systemic Inflammation Study) in 24 normal-weight to obese adults without fructose malabsorption. Participants drank 4 servings/d of fructose-, glucose-, or HFCS-sweetened beverages accounting for 25% of estimated calorie requirements while consuming a standardized diet ad libitum for three 8-d periods. Results: Subjects consumed 116% of their estimated calorie requirement while drinking the beverages with no difference in total energy intake or body weight between groups as reported previously. Fasting plasma concentrations of C-reactive protein and IL-6 did not differ significantly at the end of the 3 diet periods. We did not detect a consistent differential effect of the diets on measures of adipose tissue inflammation except for adiponectin gene expression in adipose tissue (P = 0.005), which was lowest after the glucose phase. We also did not detect consistent evidence of a differential impact of these sugars on measures of intestinal permeability (lactulose:mannitol test, plasma zonulin, and plasma lipopolysaccharide-binding protein). Conclusion: Excessive amounts of fructose, HFCS, and glucose from SSBs consumed over 8 d did not differentially affect low-grade chronic systemic inflammation in normal-weight to obese adults. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT01424306","term_id":"NCT01424306"}}NCT01424306.

Ultraviolet-C (UV–C) light technology has been proven efficient for reducing microbial counts in food. For industrial applications, processes have to be validated considering microbial and chemical safety. Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) can be formed in sugar-containing products and has been identified as possibly carcinogenic to humans. The effect of UV-C treatment at 254 nm on 5-HMF content in high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and model sugar solutions was studied at doses from 50–250 mJ cm −2 . Absorbance spectra, pH, color and soluble solids content were measured. 5-HMF content was reduced by 43–62% in fructose syrups at 250 mJ cm −2 . Higher initial 5-HMF concentration yielded a higher reduction rate and pH had no effect on reduction. UV-C light reversed caramelization changes in syrup color and odor. Aside from indicating that non-thermal UV-C processing may contribute as a purification technology, these results are important for its validation and acceptance and for the chemical safety of syrups.

The syrup-blended adulteration of Manuka honey was detected using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy combined with aquaphotomics. Manuka honey was adulterated with five different syrups (corn syrup, sucrose syrup, high fructose corn syrup, beet syrup, and rice syrup) in degrees from 10% to 50% for NIR spectra collection. Spectral variance analysis, PCA analysis, and partial least square regression (PLSR) model regression vector analysis were then performed for the spectral region of 1300–1800 nm. Finally, 12 characteristic bands were selected according to the results of analysis, and the aquagrams constructed on the basis of these wavelengths were used for aquaphotomic evaluation. The evaluation results showed that Manuka honey dominated at long-wavelength regions, indicating that more water molecules with strong hydrogen bonds and more structured water molecules are present in Manuka honey compared with sugar syrups. On the other hand, sugar syrups dominated at short-wavelength regions, indicating that sugar syrups mainly contain unstructured free water molecules with few or no hydrogen bonds. Furthermore, as the degree of adulteration increased, the number of structured water molecules, which facilitate molecular interactions, in Manuka honey decreased. The experimental results demonstrated that the detection of syrup-adulterated Manuka honey using NIR spectroscopy combined with aquaphotomics is practical.

Glucose isomerase (GI) converts glucose into fructose by a reversible reaction. This reaction is industrially valuable for the production of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) which is used as a sweetener by food and beverage industries. GI being an expensive enzyme necessitates its usage in immobilized form for increasing its reusability and economic viability. Global HFCS production accounts to 10 million tons which is highest among products yielded by immobilized process. Current study evaluates different encapsulation systems for immobilization of GI produced by Streptomyces sp. T.S.A.KP which was found to be Streptomyces enissocaesilis (Accession number MN911386 ). This is the first report of extracellular GI production by a strain of Streptomyces enissocaesilis. GI was immobilized using chitosan, alginate and agar to enhance its stability and conversion efficiency. The concentration of polymeric gel with cross linking agent was optimized to get ideal pore size for maximum GI activity. Immobilization on chitosan significantly increased (P

Glucose isomerase (GIase), an efficient enzyme in the isomerization of d -glucose to d -fructose, has been widely used in food processing. In this study, an efficient expression system for a Thermobifida fusca GIase (GIaseTfus) in Escherichia coli was firstly designed via a two-stage feeding strategy for improving expression level. The cultivation strategy was performed at an exponential feeding rate during the pre-induction phase, followed by a gradient-decreasing feeding rate at the induction phase in a 3-L fermenter. During this process, the effect of induction conditions and the complex nitrogen supplementation in feeding solutions on GIaseTfus production were investigated and optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the yield of GIaseTfus reached 124.1 U/mL, which is the highest expression level of GIase by recombinant E. coli reported to date. Additionally, the obtained GIaseTfus was performed to produce high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) with conversion approacing 55 % from glucose (45 %, w/v) to fructose. According to the molecular dynamic simulation, a number of hydrogen bonds existed in the enzyme-substrate complex could stablilize the transient states, and a appreciate reaction distance of M1 catalytic site and oxygen atom of glucose make the reaction proceed easily, thus resulting in the efficient biosynthesis of HFCS. The function of GIaseTfus renders it a valuable catalyst for HFCS-55 (containing 55 % d -fructose) manufacturing, the most favorable industrial product of HFCS. The efficient expression of GIaseTfus and its efficient HFCS production lays the foundation for its proming industrial application.

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) was mixed with four artisanal Robinia honeys at various ratios (0-40%) and near infrared (NIR) spectra were recorded with a fiber optic immersion probe. Levels of HFCS adulteration could be detected accurately using leave-one-honey-out cross-validation (RMSECV=1.48; R(2)CV=0.987), partial least squares regression and the 1300-1800nm spectral interval containing absorption bands related to both water and carbohydrates. Aquaphotomics-based evaluations showed that unifloral honeys contained more highly organized water than the industrial sugar syrup, supposedly because of the greater variety of molecules dissolved in the multi-component honeys. Adulteration with HFCS caused a gradual reduction of water molecular structures, especially water trimers, which facilitate interaction with other molecules. Quick, non-destructive NIR spectroscopy combined with aquaphotomics could be used to describe water molecular structures in honey and to detect a rather common form of adulteration.

Dietary guidelines continue to recommend restricting intake of saturated fats. This recommendation follows largely from the observation that saturated fats can raise levels of total serum cholesterol (TC), thereby putatively increasing the risk of atherosclerotic coronary heart disease (CHD). However, TC is only modestly associated with CHD, and more important than the total level of cholesterol in the blood may be the number and size of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles that contain it. As for saturated fats, these fats are a diverse class of compounds; different fats may have different effects on LDL and on broader CHD risk based on the specific saturated fatty acids (SFAs) they contain. Importantly, though, people eat foods, not isolated fatty acids. Some food sources of SFAs may pose no risk for CHD or possibly even be protective. Advice to reduce saturated fat in the diet without regard to nuances about LDL, SFAs, or dietary sources could actually increase people's risk of CHD. When saturated fats are replaced with refined carbohydrates, and specifically with added sugars (like sucrose or high fructose corn syrup), the end result is not favorable for heart health. Such replacement leads to changes in LDL, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and triglycerides that may increase the risk of CHD. Additionally, diets high in sugar may induce many other abnormalities associated with elevated CHD risk, including elevated levels of glucose, insulin, and uric acid, impaired glucose tolerance, insulin and leptin resistance, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and altered platelet function. A diet high in added sugars has been found to cause a 3-fold increased risk of death due to cardiovascular disease, but sugars, like saturated fats, are a diverse class of compounds. The monosaccharide, fructose, and fructose-containing sweeteners (e.g., sucrose) produce greater degrees of metabolic abnormalities than does glucose (either isolated as a monomer, or in chains as starch) and may present greater risk of CHD. This paper reviews the evidence linking saturated fats and sugars to CHD, and concludes that the latter is more of a problem than the former. Dietary guidelines should shift focus away from reducing saturated fat, and from replacing saturated fat with carbohydrates, specifically when these carbohydrates are refined. To reduce the burden of CHD, guidelines should focus particularly on reducing intake of concentrated sugars, specifically the fructose-containing sugars like sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup in the form of ultra-processed foods and beverages.

BACKGROUND Increased energy intake is consistently observed in individuals consuming sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), likely mainly because of an inadequate satiety response to liquid calories. However, SSBs have a high content of fructose, the consumption of which acutely fails to trigger responses in key signals involved in energy homeostasis. It is unclear whether the fructose content of SSBs contributes to the increased energy intake in individuals drinking SSBs. OBJECTIVE We investigated whether the relative amounts of fructose and glucose in SSBs modifies ad libitum energy intake over 8 d in healthy adults without fructose malabsorption. DESIGN We conducted 2 randomized, controlled, double-blind crossover studies to compare the effects of consuming 4 servings/d of a fructose-, glucose-, or aspartame-sweetened beverage (study A; n = 9) or a fructose-, glucose-, or high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)-sweetened beverage (study B; n = 24) for 8 d on overall energy intake. SSBs were provided at 25% of estimated energy requirement, or an equivalent volume of the aspartame-sweetened beverage, and consumption was mandatory. All solid foods were provided at 125% of estimated energy requirements and were consumed ad libitum. RESULTS In study A, ad libitum energy intake was 120% ± 10%, 117% ± 12%, and 102% ± 15% of estimated energy requirements when subjects consumed the fructose-, glucose-, and aspartame-sweetened beverages. Energy intake was significantly higher in the fructose and glucose phases than in the aspartame phase (P < 0.003 for each), with no difference between the fructose and glucose phases (P = 0.462). In study B, total energy intake during the fructose, HFCS, and glucose phases was 116% ± 14%, 116% ± 16%, and 116% ± 16% of the subject's estimated total energy requirements (P = 0.880). CONCLUSIONS In healthy adults, total 8-d ad libitum energy intake was increased in individuals consuming SSBs compared with aspartame-sweetened beverages. The energy overconsumption observed in individuals consuming SSBs occurred independently of the relative amounts of fructose and glucose in the beverages. These trials were registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00475475 and NCT01424306.

Recent attention has focused on fructose as having a unique role in the pathogenesis of cardiometabolic diseases. However, because we rarely consume fructose in isolation, the major source of fructose in the diet comes from fructose-containing sugars, sucrose and high fructose corn syrup, in sugar-sweetened beverages and foods. Intake of sugar-sweetened beverages has been consistently linked to increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in various populations. Putative underlying mechanisms include incomplete compensation for liquid calories, adverse glycemic effects, and increased hepatic metabolism of fructose leading to de novo lipogenesis, production of uric acid, and accumulation of visceral and ectopic fat. In this review we summarize the epidemiological and clinical trial evidence evaluating added sugars, especially sugar-sweetened beverages, and the risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease and address potential biological mechanisms with an emphasis on fructose physiology. We also discuss strategies to reduce intake of fructose-containing beverages.

Synthesis of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from hexoses has been studied extensively in the scientific literature. However, a process has yet to be implemented at industrial scale. In this paper the simultaneous dehydration of glucose and fructose was investigated, in order to develop a process allowing the use of the cheapest available source of fructose: high fructose corn syrup. The dehydration was catalyzed by hydrochloric acid and conducted in acetone–water mixtures, which ensured good selectivity towards HMF and eliminated precipitation of polymer by-products (insoluble humins). Through a detailed experimental investigation a reaction network was proposed, and subsequently the corresponding kinetic model was fitted to experimental data in order to obtain estimates of the reaction kinetic parameters. The kinetic model is capable of predicting the formation of HMF along with the important by-products: soluble humins, glucose dimers, anhydroglucose, and formic acid. The reaction conditions in four different reactor configurations were optimized and compared using the kinetic model. It was found that a recirculating reactor setup is preferable, where the equilibrium controlled by-products (anhydroglucose and glucose dimers) are recirculated to the dehydration reactor. The model predicts an HMF selectivity of close to 70% in a recirculating reactor at conditions where HMF degradation is avoided.

Diet plays an important role in the pathogenesis of abnormal serum uric acid (UA) levels and associated complications. Diet modification has been universally adopted as an important and early intervention approach to reduce or increase UA production and/or enhance or inhibit UA excretion. This article reviews the literature on the effects of diets and dietary factors on serum UA levels. The most recently published studies make dietary recommendations aiming to modulate UA levels, including the consumption of low-fat dairy products, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, vitamin C, and coffee as well as the moderation of sugary foods, meats and meat products, seafood, and sugar-sweetened beverages. Individuals with gout should avoid consuming organ meats, sweet breads, high fructose corn syrup, sweetened beverages, and alcohol and should avoid alcohol altogether during periods of frequent gout attack. Serving sizes of meat and meat products, seafood, table sugars, sweetened beverages, table salt, and alcohol should be limited, whereas low-fat or non-fat dairy products and vegetables should be encouraged. Dietary intervention remains the only non-pharmacological approach for the long-term prevention, control, and management of abnormal serum UA levels and associated complications in humans.

Data from animal experiments and human studies implicate added sugars (eg, sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup) in the development of diabetes mellitus and related metabolic derangements that raise cardiovascular (CV) risk. Added fructose in particular (eg, as a constituent of added sucrose or as the main component of high-fructose sweeteners) may pose the greatest problem for incident diabetes, diabetes-related metabolic abnormalities, and CV risk. Conversely, whole foods that contain fructose (eg, fruits and vegetables) pose no problem for health and are likely protective against diabetes and adverse CV outcomes. Several dietary guidelines appropriately recommend consuming whole foods over foods with added sugars, but some (eg, recommendations from the American Diabetes Association) do not recommend restricting fructose-containing added sugars to any specific level. Other guidelines (such as from the Institute of Medicine) allow up to 25% of calories as fructose-containing added sugars. Intake of added fructose at such high levels would undoubtedly worsen rates of diabetes and its complications. There is no need for added fructose or any added sugars in the diet; reducing intake to 5% of total calories (the level now suggested by the World Health Organization) has been shown to improve glucose tolerance in humans and decrease the prevalence of diabetes and the metabolic derangements that often precede and accompany it. Reducing the intake of added sugars could translate to reduced diabetes-related morbidity and premature mortality for populations.

Mulberry pekmez can be adulterated in different ways either during the production process or after production is completed. To identify these adulterations, stable carbon isotope ratio analysis (SCIRA) was performed on the model examples prepared by adding saccharose syrup (SS), glucose syrup (GS) and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) into two different pure mulberry pekmez samples in the ratios of 0%, 10%, 30% and 50%. The δ(13)C ratio of the pure mulberry pekmez was determined as -26.60‰ on average, the saccharose syrup as -24.80‰, the glucose syrup as -11.20‰ and the high-fructose corn syrup as -11.40‰. In identifying the adulteration made to pekmez, especially with the high-fructose corn syrup, which is obtained from corn starch, and with the glucose syrup, the δ(13)C ratio comes into prominence. However it remains impossible identify the adulterations made with the saccharose, which is obtained from beet sugar, or invert sugar syrups.

Rare sugar syrup is a sweetener obtained from high-fructose corn syrup under slightly alkaline conditions, which promotes the formation of rare sugars. Here, the physiological impact and safety of rare sugar syrup in humans was investigated by a randomized double-blind parallel experiment. Thirty-four subjects with an average body mass index of 25.6 kg/m2 were divided into two groups. Subjects consumed either a test drink containing rare sugar syrup or an isocaloric control drink containing high-fructose corn syrup on a daily basis for 12 weeks. Results showed significant decreases in body weight, body fat percentage and waist circumference in the rare sugar syrup group compared to the control. No adverse events with regard to hepatic and renal function or blood parameters were observed. Our study conclusively suggests, for the first time, that rare sugar syrup is a safe sweetener, and that continuous consumption of this syrup could help weight management.

The effect of honey adulteration by high fructose corn syrup in different concentrations from 0% (pure honey) to 100% (pure high fructose corn syrup) was investigated using Low Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (LF 1H NMR) and physicochemical analytical methods. The LF 1H NMR data were analyzed by bi-exponential fitting and compared with physicochemical data. The physicochemical parameters demonstrated that water content, water activity, pH and color differed significantly in honey samples adulterated with different concentrations of high fructose corn syrup. These differences were also observed by transverse relaxation (T2). Bi-exponential fitting of T2 resulted in the observation of two water populations in all samples, T21 and T22, with relaxation times in the range of 1.26–1.60 ms and 3.33–7.38 ms, respectively. Relaxation times increased with higher percentages of high fructose syrup in adulterated honey. Linear correlations were observed between the T2, T21 and T22 parameters and physicochemical data, suggesting that LF 1H NMR can be used to discriminate pure blossom honey from honey adulterated with high fructose corn syrup.

Fructose has shown significant reactivity during ultraviolet light (UV, 254nm) processing of fruit juices that can adversely affect product quality. The present study demonstrates that this reactivity of fructose is due to the oxidative nature of products formed from UV induced photolysis of fructose. This was accomplished using fluorescein, a fluorescent dye that loses fluorescence intensity upon reaction with oxidative species. Fructose caused a concentration dependent decay of fluorescence from fluorescein only in presence of UV, indicating oxidative nature of photolysis products of fructose. The transient oxidative species including free radicals and not one of the final photolysis products, furan, were responsible for fluorescence decay. Addition of an antioxidant and removal of oxygen from solution lowered the rate of fluorescence decay, suggesting strategies that can be employed to lower the deleterious effects of fructose on products. The understanding developed can be used to optimise UV processing of juices.

Fructose-containing sugars, including fructose itself, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), and sucrose have engendered considerable controversy. The effects of HFCS and sucrose in sugar-sweetened beverages, in particular, have generated intense scientific debate that has spilled over to the public. This controversy is related to well-known differences in metabolism between fructose and glucose in the liver. In addition, research studies have often been conducted comparing pure fructose and pure glucose even though neither is consumed to any appreciable degree in isolation in the human diet. Other evidence has been drawn from animal studies and epidemiologic or cohort studies. Few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have compared HFCS with sucrose (the 2 sugars most commonly consumed in the human diet) at dosage amounts within the normal human consumption range. This review compares results of recently concluded RCTs with other forms of evidence related to fructose, HFCS, and sucrose. We conclude that great caution must be used when suggesting adverse health effects of consuming these sugars in the normal way they are consumed and at the normal amounts in the human diet, because RCTs do not support adverse health consequences at these doses when employing these sugars.

Background Dietary intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has increased during the past 30 years, and SSB intake is associated with caries. Download full-size image Conclusions SSBs vary in the quantity and nature of sugars they contain; however, all of the sugars are fermentable by oral bacteria and potentially cariogenic. Practical Implications Oral health care practitioners should assess patients’ SSB intakes by asking questions regarding the quantity, frequency and duration of SSB intake. In response to individual behaviors, practitioners should tailor recommendations when providing anticipatory guidance to help patients decrease their exposure to SSBs for caries prevention. In light of the association between SSB intake and caries risk, as well as the increased consumption of SSBs, all dental practices should assess patients’ SSBs intake.

After earlier debates on the role of fat, high fructose corn syrup, and added sugar in the aetiology of obesity, it has recently been suggested that wheat consumption is involved. Suggestions have been made that wheat consumption has adverse effects on health by mechanisms related to addiction and overeating. We discuss these arguments and conclude that they cannot be substantiated. Moreover, we conclude that assigning the cause of obesity to one specific type of food or food component, rather than overconsumption and inactive lifestyle in general, is not correct. In fact, foods containing whole-wheat, which have been prepared in customary ways (such as baked or extruded), and eaten in recommended amounts, have been associated with significant reductions in risks for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and a more favourable long term weight management. Nevertheless, individuals that have a genetic predisposition for developing celiac disease, or who are sensitive or allergic to wheat proteins, will benefit from avoiding wheat and other cereals that contain proteins related to gluten, including primitive wheat species (einkorn, emmer, spelt) and varieties, rye and barley. It is therefore important for these individuals that the food industry should develop a much wider spectrum of foods, based on crops that do not contain proteins related to gluten, such as teff, amaranth, oat, quinoa, and chia. Based on the available evidence, we conclude that whole-wheat consumption cannot be linked to increased prevalence of obesity in the general population.

5-Hydroxymethyl-2-furfural (HMF) was prepared with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) manufactured directly from industry. Equipped industrial process and cheaper availability considered HFCS-90 as a competitive starter for production of HMF. Readily evaporable solvent, 1,4-dioxane was found as a promising reaction media from the screening of various solvents and readily available cation exchange resin, Amberlyst-15 was used as a solid acid catalyst. Parametric variation studies including amount of catalyst, concentration of HFCS-90, and reaction temperature were performed to achieve a maximum HMF yield of 80% at 100 °C within 3 h. In particular, use of readily evaporable solvent and heterogeneous catalyst allowed highly practical purification of HMF, which still remains as a major obstacle to the commercialization of HMF. With filtration, evaporation, and extraction, HMF was simply isolated in 72% yield and 1H NMR spectra of the isolated HMF confirmed that its purity was sufficient for use in next step of reactions. In addition, all solvents could be recycled with distillation and catalyst was reused up to 5 cycles without a significant loss of activity.

What do the Atkins Diet and the traditional Japanese diet have in common? The Atkins Diet is low in carbohydrate and usually high in fat; the Japanese diet is high in carbohydrate and usually low in fat. Yet both work to promote weight loss. One commonality of both diets is that they both eliminate the monosaccharide fructose. Sucrose (table sugar) and its synthetic sister high fructose corn syrup consist of 2 molecules, glucose and fructose. Glucose is the molecule that when polymerized forms starch, which has a high glycemic index, generates an insulin response, and is not particularly sweet. Fructose is found in fruit, does not generate an insulin response, and is very sweet. Fructose consumption has increased worldwide, paralleling the obesity and chronic metabolic disease pandemic. Sugar (i.e., fructose-containing mixtures) has been vilified by nutritionists for ages as a source of “empty calories,” no different from any other empty calorie. However, fructose is unlike glucose. In the hypercaloric glycogen-replete state, intermediary metabolites from fructose metabolism overwhelm hepatic mitochondrial capacity, which promotes de novo lipogenesis and leads to hepatic insulin resistance, which drives chronic metabolic disease. Fructose also promotes reactive oxygen species formation, which leads to cellular dysfunction and aging, and promotes changes in the brain’s reward system, which drives excessive consumption. Thus, fructose can exert detrimental health effects beyond its calories and in ways that mimic those of ethanol, its metabolic cousin. Indeed, the only distinction is that because fructose is not metabolized in the central nervous system, it does not exert the acute neuronal depression experienced by those imbibing ethanol. These metabolic and hedonic analogies argue that fructose should be thought of as “alcohol without the buzz.”

Research on biofuels has been focused on improving yield of the conversion process while reducing the capital cost. Currently, 88% of the US ethanol production capacity and 96% of the planned expansion of capacity utilizes a dry milling process, which has a higher ethanol yield and a lower capital cost per gallon capacity than a wet milling process. However, the fact that all the corn ethanol plants that were bankrupted or idled during the 2008 economy recession used dry milling processes while all the plants that used wet milling processes had survived suggests that the efficiency driven approach may be flawed. This paper compares the economic performances of a typical dry milling plant with those of a typical wet milling plant under scenarios when market conditions are favorable or unfavorable to the corn ethanol production. The results show that the wet milling plant exhibits better performance under both scenarios due to its operational flexibility (e.g. having starch, high fructose corn syrup, gluten meal, gluten feed, and corn oil in its product portfolio). It is argued that the development of biofuel technologies should take operational flexibility into consideration in order to absorb disruptions from unexpected feedstock supply and volatile market conditions.

Sugar intake in the United States has increased by >40 fold since the American Revolution. The health concerns that have been raised about the amounts of sugar that are in the current diet, primarily as beverages, are the subject of this review. Just less than 50% of the added sugars (sugar and high-fructose corn syrup) are found in soft drinks and fruit drinks. The intake of soft drinks has increased 5-fold between 1950 and 2000. Most meta-analyses have shown that the risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome are related to consumption of beverages sweetened with sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. Calorically sweetened beverage intake has also been related to the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and, in men, gout. Calorically sweetened beverages contribute to obesity through their caloric load, and the intake of beverages does not produce a corresponding reduction in the intake of other food, suggesting that beverage calories are "add-on" calories. The increase in plasma triglyceride concentrations by sugar-sweetened beverages can be attributed to fructose rather than glucose in sugar. Several randomized trials of sugar-containing soft drinks versus low-calorie or calorie-free beverages show that either sugar, 50% of which is fructose, or fructose alone increases triglycerides, body weight, visceral adipose tissue, muscle fat, and liver fat. Fructose is metabolized primarily in the liver. When it is taken up by the liver, ATP decreases rapidly as the phosphate is transferred to fructose in a form that makes it easy to convert to lipid precursors. Fructose intake enhances lipogenesis and the production of uric acid. By worsening blood lipids, contributing to obesity, diabetes, fatty liver, and gout, fructose in the amounts currently consumed is hazardous to the health of some people.

Fructose is a monosaccharide and reducing sugar. It is present in sucrose and honey. Researchers around the world have come together in a just-published study that offers new ideas about how fructose consumption results in obesity and metabolic syndrome, which can lead to diabetes. In this review, we discuss that how fructose causes fatty liver, obesity and insulin resistance. We also discuss the effects of consumption of high fructose corn syrup, dietary fructose, fructose-induced changes in metabolism.

Raman spectroscopy was used to detect adulterants such as high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and maltose syrup (MS) in honey. HFCS and MS were each mixed with authentic honey samples in the following ratios: 1:10 (10%), 1:5 (20%) and 1:2.5 (40%, w/w). Adaptive iteratively reweighted penalized least squares (airPLS) was chosen to remove background of spectral data. Partial least squares-linear discriminant analysis (PLS-LDA) was used to develop a binary classification model. Classification of honey authenticity using PLS-LDA showed a total accuracy of 91.1% (authentic honey vs. adulterated honey with HFCS), 97.8% (authentic honey vs. adulterated honey with MS) and 75.6% (authentic honey vs. adulterated honey with HFCS and MS), respectively. Classification of honey adulterants (e.g. HFCS or MS) using PLS-LDA gave a total accuracy of 84.4%. The results showed that Raman spectroscopy combined with PLS-LDA was a potential technique for detecting adulterants in honey.

The glucose isomerase (GI) gene from the Acidothermus cellulolyticus 11B was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein was purified to electrophoretical homogeneity by affinity chromatography using Chelating Sepharose Fast Flow resin. The enzyme activity was maximal at 80 °C and pH 6.5 while being significantly enhanced by Co2+ and Mg2+. The enzyme was determined as thermostable and weak-acid stable. These findings indicated that the GI from A. cellulolyticus 11B is appropriate for use as a new source of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) producing enzyme.

It is unclear whether high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which contains a higher amount of fructose and provides an immediate source of free fructose, induces greater systemic concentrations of fructose as compared with sucrose. It is also unclear whether exposure to higher levels of fructose leads to increased fructose-induced adverse effects. The objective was to prospectively compare the effects of HFCS- vs sucrose-sweetened soft drinks on acute metabolic and hemodynamic effects. Forty men and women consumed 24 oz of HFCS- or sucrose-sweetened beverages in a randomized crossover design study. Blood and urine samples were collected over 6 hours. Blood pressure, heart rate, fructose, and a variety of other metabolic biomarkers were measured. Fructose area under the curve and maximum concentration, dose-normalized glucose area under the curve and maximum concentration, relative bioavailability of glucose, changes in postprandial concentrations of serum uric acid, and systolic blood pressure maximum levels were higher when HFCS-sweetened beverages were consumed as compared with sucrose-sweetened beverages. Compared with sucrose, HFCS leads to greater fructose systemic exposure and significantly different acute metabolic effects.

Honey adulteration particularly by adding cheap sugars such as High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) and cane sugar syrup into natural honey is widespread. This study reports (C-13/C-12,parts per thousand) patterns of 31 authentic honey samples obtained from different sources and regions of Turkey as well as 43 commercial honey samples to determine the adulteration using mass spectrometer coupled to elemental analyzer (EA-IRMS). The analyses indicated that the ranges of (C-13/C-12, parts per thousand) values of honey and protein fractions of Turkish honey are from -23.30 to -27.58 parts per thousand and -24.13 to -26.76 parts per thousand, respectively. These values for commercial honey samples were determined to range from -11.28 to -25.54 parts per thousand and -19.35 to -25.61 parts per thousand, respectively. The numbers of adulterated commercial honey samples were found to be 10, which corresponds to 23% of the total number of the samples. Diastase activity, HMF content, electrical conductivity and moisture content of honey samples were also determined. Method validation and uncertainty budget calculations were also reported. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The use of fibre optic diffuse reflectance near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) in combination with chemometric techniques has been investigated to discriminate authenticity of honey. NIR spectra of unadulterated honey and adulterated honey samples with high fructose corn syrup were registered within 10,000–4000 cm −1 spectral region. Discriminant partial least squares (DPLS) models were constructed to distinguish between unadulterated honey and adulterated honey samples and main bands responsible for the discrimination of samples are in the range of 6000–10,000 cm −1 . For these models, the correct classification rate for calibration samples were above 90%. Hundred percentage of unadulterated honey and 95% of adulterated honey samples from test set were correctly classified after appropriate preprocessing of first derivative, 13 smoothing points, followed by mean centering pre-treatment and eight model factors, respectively. Our results showed that NIR spectroscopy data with chemometrics techniques can be applied to rapid detecting honey adulteration with high fructose corn syrup.

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has replaced sucrose in many food products, which has prompted research comparing these two sweeteners in rodents. The present study examined the relative palatability of HFCS and sucrose for rats, offering 11% carbohydrate solutions to match the content of common beverages for human consumption. The animals initially preferred HFCS to sucrose but after separate experience with each solution they switched to sucrose preference. Approximating the composition of HFCS with a mixture of fructose and glucose (55:45) yielded a solution that was less attractive than sucrose or HFCS. However, HFCS contains a small amount of glucose polymers, which are very attractive to rats. A 55:42:3 mixture of fructose, glucose and glucose polymers (Polycose) was equally preferred to HFCS and was treated similarly to HFCS in comparisons vs. sucrose. Post-oral effects of sucrose, which is 50% fructose and 50% glucose, may be responsible for the shift in preference with experience. This shift, and the relatively small magnitude of differences in preference for HFCS and sucrose, suggest that palatability factors probably do not contribute to any possible difference in weight gain responses to these sweeteners.

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) accounts for as much as 40% of caloric sweeteners used in the United States. Some studies have shown that short-term access to HFCS can cause increased body weight, but the findings are mixed. The current study examined both short- and long-term effects of HFCS on body weight, body fat, and circulating triglycerides. In Experiment 1, male Sprague-Dawley rats were maintained for short term (8 weeks) on (1) 12 h/day of 8% HFCS, (2) 12 h/day 10% sucrose, (3) 24 h/day HFCS, all with ad libitum rodent chow, or (4) ad libitum chow alone. Rats with 12-h access to HFCS gained significantly more body weight than animals given equal access to 10% sucrose, even though they consumed the same number of total calories, but fewer calories from HFCS than sucrose. In Experiment 2, the long-term effects of HFCS on body weight and obesogenic parameters, as well as gender differences, were explored. Over the course of 6 or 7 months, both male and female rats with access to HFCS gained significantly more body weight than control groups. This increase in body weight with HFCS was accompanied by an increase in adipose fat, notably in the abdominal region, and elevated circulating triglyceride levels. Translated to humans, these results suggest that excessive consumption of HFCS may contribute to the incidence of obesity.

There has been much concern regarding the role of dietary fructose in the development of metabolic diseases. This concern arises from the continuous increase in fructose (and total added caloric sweeteners consumption) in recent decades, and from the increased use of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as a sweetener. A large body of evidence shows that a high-fructose diet leads to the development of obesity, diabetes, and dyslipidemia in rodents. In humans, fructose has long been known to increase plasma triglyceride concentrations. In addition, when ingested in large amounts as part of a hypercaloric diet, it can cause hepatic insulin resistance, increased total and visceral fat mass, and accumulation of ectopic fat in the liver and skeletal muscle. These early effects may be instrumental in causing, in the long run, the development of the metabolic syndrome. There is however only limited evidence that fructose per se, when consumed in moderate amounts, has deleterious effects. Several effects of a high-fructose diet in humans can be observed with high-fat or high-glucose diets as well, suggesting that an excess caloric intake may be the main factor involved in the development of the metabolic syndrome. The major source of fructose in our diet is with sweetened beverages (and with other products in which caloric sweeteners have been added). The progressive replacement of sucrose by HFCS is however unlikely to be directly involved in the epidemy of metabolic disease, because HFCS appears to have basically the same metabolic effects as sucrose. Consumption of sweetened beverages is however clearly associated with excess calorie intake, and an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases through an increase in body weight. This has led to the recommendation to limit the daily intake of sugar calories.

The effect of two hydrocolloids, the overall composition and stirring rate of a confectionery semi-liquid syrup model, were studied by means of the measure of rheological properties, instrumental texture evaluation and turbidity. A syrup model was made with sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, gum (dextran or carrageenan), citric acid and water. An experimental design based on Taguchi’s method was employed to evaluate the influence of sugar concentration, gum type, gum concentration, citric acid concentration and stirring rate. An analysis of variance was performed. From all evaluated properties (except turbidity), °Brix was the factor that showed the maximum influence, with higher values on textural properties (adhesive force, cohesive work and stringiness). The gum type had influence over viscosity, hardness, adhesive force and turbidity. The Newtonian behavior predominated in the syrups and viscosity of samples was affected by the variables studied. The mean values of viscosity, hardness and adhesive force for all samples with carrageenan were higher than those obtained with dextran (at both °Brix levels).

The rise in prevalence of obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and fatty liver disease has been linked to increased consumption of fructose-containing foods or beverages. Our aim was to compare the effects of moderate consumption of fructose-containing and non-caloric sweetened beverages on feeding behavior, metabolic and serum lipid profiles, and hepatic histology and serum liver enzymes, in rats. Behavioral tests determined preferred (12.5–15%) concentrations of solutions of agave, fructose, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a combination of HFCS and Hoodia (a putative appetite suppressant), or the non-caloric sweetener Stevia (n=5/gp). HFCS intake was highest, in preference and self-administration tests. Groups (n=10/gp) were then assigned to one of the sweetened beverages or water as the sole source of liquid at night (3 nights/wk, 10wks). Although within the normal range, serum cholesterol was higher in the fructose and HFCS groups, and serum triglycerides were higher in the Agave, HFCS, and HFCS/Hoodia groups (vs. water-controls, p