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The consumption of ice cream and frozen desserts in the “better-for-you” (BFY) category has grown rapidly over the past few years, even as traditional ice cream sales remain stagnant. To better understand consumer preferences within the BFY category, an online survey (n = 1,051) was conducted with ice cream and frozen dessert consumers, followed by consumer acceptance testing of commercial BFY frozen dairy desserts. Consumers of BFY frozen desserts (n = 578) completed an adaptive choice-based conjoint survey and MaxDiff exercise to identify the attributes that drive purchase of BFY frozen desserts. MaxDiff exercises were also used to determine which attributes all frozen dessert consumers (n = 1,051) perceived to make a frozen dessert BFY and which stabilizers or emulsifiers were most attractive on an ice cream or frozen dessert label. Subsequently, a consumer acceptance test (n = 186) was conducted using 4 commercial vanilla-flavored frozen dairy desserts made with different sweetening systems (sugar, sucralose + acesulfame K, monk fruit + allulose, and stevia + erythritol). Half of consumers were primed or informed with the sweeteners and basic nutritional information for the frozen desserts before tasting, and the other half of consumers evaluated samples blinded, where they were only informed that they were tasting a vanilla-flavored frozen dessert. Sweetener type and base (dairy vs. plant) were the most important attributes to BFY consumers when selecting a BFY frozen dessert (n = 578). For all ice cream and BFY dessert consumers (n = 1,051), sweetener-related claims (naturally sweetened, reduced sugar, no added sugar), along with “all natural” and a short ingredient list, were the top attributes that contributed to perception of a “healthier” frozen dessert. When BFY frozen desserts were tasted by consumers, purchase intent decreased after tasting, suggesting that frozen desserts made with natural non-nutritive sweeteners did not meet consumer expectations. Flavor of BFY frozen desserts remains more important than perceived healthiness. Consumers perceive frozen desserts, even those in the BFY category, as an indulgence. Frozen dessert manufacturers should focus on naturally sweetened, dairy-based desserts with minimal sweetener-related flavor defects when designing products for the BFY category.

This study focused on the appearance of the most commonly used artificial sweeteners (acesulfame K, cyclamate, saccharin, and sucralose) in waste and discharged water and the evaluation of their possible negative effects on the water ecosystem. Samples of raw and treated wastewater were collected at the inflow and outflow of the Wastewater Treatment Plant in Brno-Modřice (Czech Republic). The target compounds were isolated by solid phase extraction and determined by liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. The ecotoxicity of target compounds expressed as the ErC20, LC20, and EC20 values was evaluated by a battery of tests using representatives of producers and consumers in the water ecosystem as testing organisms (Lemna minor, Thamnocephalus platyurus, and Daphnia magna). The results proved that the acute toxicity of individual artificial sweeteners does not pose a significant risk to the aquatic ecosystem. The compound showing the highest concentration in raw wastewater (in the range of tens of µg L−1) and negligible removal during the wastewater treatment process was sucralose, but its ecotoxicity was the lowest of the ASs studied. The highest ecotoxicity showed saccharin, but its removal in a wastewater treatment plant was almost complete. However, additional studies are needed to evaluate the chronic toxicity of ASs and also possible synergistic or antagonistic effects in ASs mixtures.

Resumen Introducción. Los edulcorantes son aditivos que se consumen en los alimentos. Pueden ser naturales (sacarosa y estevia) o artificiales (sucralosa). Actualmente, se consumen rutinariamente en múltiples productos, y sus efectos en la mucosa y la microbiota del intestino delgado aún son controversiales Objetivo. Relacionar el consumo de edulcorantes y su efecto en el sistema inmunitario y la microbiota del intestino delgado en ratones CD1. Materiales y métodos. Se utilizaron 54 ratones CD1 de tres semanas de edad divididos en tres grupos: un grupo de tres semanas sin tratamiento, un grupo tratado durante seis semanas y un grupo tratado durante 12 semanas. Se les administró sacarosa, sucralosa y estevia. A partir del intestino delgado, se obtuvieron linfocitos B CD19+ y células IgA+, TGF-β (Transforming Growth Factor-beta) o el factor de crecimiento transformador beta (TGF-beta), IL-12 e IL-17 de las placas de Peyer y de la lámina propia. De los sólidos intestinales se obtuvo el ADN para identificar las especies bacterianas. Resultados. Después del consumo de sacarosa y sucralosa durante 12 semanas, se redujeron las comunidades bacterianas, la IgA+ y el TGF-beta, se aumentó el CD19+, y además, se incrementaron la IL-12 y la IL-17 en las placas de Peyer; en la lámina propia, aumentaron todos estos valores. En cambio, con la estevia mejoraron la diversidad bacteriana y el porcentaje de linfocitos CD19+, y hubo poco incremento de IgA+, TGF- β e IL-17, pero con disminución de la IL-17. Conclusión. La sacarosa y la sucralosa alteraron negativamente la diversidad bacteriana y los parámetros inmunitarios después de 12 semanas, en contraste con la estevia que resultó benéfica para la mucosa intestinal. Abstract Introduction: Sweeteners are additives used in different foods. They can be natural (sucrose and stevia) or artificial (sucralose). Currently, they are routinely consumed in multiple products and their effects on the mucosa of the small intestine and its microbiota are still controversial. Objective: To relate the consumption of sweeteners and their effect on the immune system and the microbiota of the small intestine in CD1 mice. Materials and methods: We used 54 three-week-old CD1 mice divided into three groups in the experiments: 1) A group of three weeks without treatment, 2) a group treated for six weeks, and 3) a group treated for 12 weeks using sucrose, sucralose, and stevia. We obtained CD19+ B lymphocytes, IgA+ antibodies, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-b), and interleukins 12 and 17 (IL-12 and -17) from Peyer's patches and lamina propria cells while DNA was obtained from intestinal solids to identify bacterial species. Results: After 12 weeks, sucrose and sucralose consumption caused a reduction in bacterial communities with an increase in CD19+, a decrease in IgA+ and TGF-b, and an increase in IL-12 and -17 in the Peyer's patches while in the lamina propria there was an increase in all parameters. In contrast, stevia led to an improvement in bacterial diversity and percentage of CD19+ lymphocytes with minimal increase in IgA+, TGF-b, and IL-12, and a decrease in IL-17. Conclusion: Sucrose and sucralose caused negative alterations in bacterial diversity and immune parameters after 12 weeks; in contrast, stevia was beneficial for the intestinal mucosa.

[EN] Jams are preparations of fruits whose main preserving agent is sugar. Due to this, health concerns of consumers have resulted in a sugar reduction, and its replacement using alternative sweeteners and introducing new ingredients enhancing nutritional properties. In this study, four types of fruits jams (plum, strawberry, apple, and peach), with or without sugar, were prepared using two microalgae biomass, Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) and Chlorella vulgaris, and Dunaliella salina extract as ingredients at different mix levels of concentrations, 0.10%-0.10%-0.05% respectively, for plum; 0.04%-0.00%-0.01 respectively, for strawberry; 0.06%-0.04%-0.00% respectively, for apple and 0.00%-0.01%-0.04% respectively, for peach. Physicochemical, rheological, and textural parameters were evaluated. Substitution of sugar/fructose syrup in the jam's preparation caused changes in pH values, solid soluble content, and rheological and textural properties compared to sugar jams. Using sugar or sweeteners as isomalt, stevia and sucralose and microalgae biomass or extract showed significant changes in colour coordinates, however, these differences were not perceptible by the human eye. Jams containing microalgae biomass-extract showed higher G', G'', G*, and eta* values than their corresponding control samples. All the jams presented weak-gel characteristics, distinguishing fruit jams. However, the results of weak-gel model analysis suggest that the influence of the different ingredients in the food system depends not only on their concentration but also on the interactions in the gel structure. Strawberry and apple jams showed no significant differences between microalgae biomass-extract samples and control samples, for both sugar and no sugar added jams being the best-obtained samples., Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades, CDTI, and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER), ALGAVITAE project.

The eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) it is edible fruit plant, rich in vitamins, minerals and phenolic compounds, so its consumption brings health benefits. The objective of this work was to evaluate the quality nutritional, sensory and hygiene assessment of the beverage based on eggplant juice with CO2 injection. This study had four treatments; Treatment T0 Eggplant juice (330 mL), T1 Eggplant juice (330 mL) + CO2 (1,94 g) T2 Eggplant juice (330 mL) + CO2 (1,94 g) + Benzoate (1 g), T3 Eggplant juice (330 mL) + CO2 (1,94 g) + Sucralose (1 g). Evaluations were carried out at 24 hours, 30 and 60 days of storage (0°C and 95% RH) and, at each of these moments, the acidity content, pH, reducing sugars, soluble solids and Vitamin C were determined. Sensorial evaluation measure were; color, flavor, texture, aroma and also acceptability and appearance. In regards to microbiological analysis, total coliforms were measured at 24 hours after the beverage was made. There was significant difference in the results of appearances between beverages elaborated with treatments T3 in relation with T0, T1 and T2 at 24 hours and 30 days of storage. Because of beverage with treatment T3 had got better acceptability by the panelists, mainly at 30 days of storage. Therefore, beverages elaborated with treatments T0 at 24 hours and 30 days of storage had lower appearance and acceptability. The vitamin C content showed a 25 mg (23 mg standard) in the beverages elaborated with treatments T3. The pasteurization process allowed the absence of total coliform in the beverages elaborated and also the good manufacture practices obtained an innocuous product to be consume.

Background: Sucralose is a high intensity artificial sweetener and chemically known as 1,6-dichloro-1,6-dideoxy-β-D-fructofuranosyl-4-chloro-4-deoxy-α-D-galactopyranoside. It is used as a sweetener and flavour enhancer in foods and beverages. Due to its high stability at wider temperatures and pH, it made its applicability in various food products throughout the world. As per Joint FAO/WHO Expert Group on Food Additives (JECFA) in 1990, the daily intake of sucralose is 0-15 mg/kg body weight. The literature reports suggest that sucralose has a possible health threat due to the presence of chlorine groups, thereby leading to several illnesses. The growing interest in the use of sucralose (SCL) in the foods makes it necessary in developing a fast, reliable, cost effective and reproducible analytical method to determine SCL in food samples. The detection of sucralose and other carbohydrates like fructose, glucose and sucrose is a challenging task owing to its: (i) unavailability of the charged functions and (ii) lack of absorption of strong chromophoric nature in the UV region. Therefore, separation of non-absorbing neutral molecules needs a careful procedure with suitable electrolyte systems. Methodology: An indirect UV detection capillary electrophoretic method is described for the separation of sucralose in different food samples. It was achieved by nucleophile substitution (SN2) in the presence of amine as background electrolytes. The morpholine buffer showed good buffering capacity in terms of migration time (< 8.0 min) and baseline stability when compared to other amine buffers (ethylamine, piperidine, triethylamine). The analytical applications of proposed method showed by recovery percentages of sucralose in real and spiked samples on intra and inter-day basis at optimum experimental conditions of 0.2 M buffer concentration and pH 12.0 at 230 nm UV detection. Results: The selection of BGE, UV detection wavelength, buffer concentration, buffer pH, cassette temperature and applied voltage was optimized to enhance the sensitivity and selectivity of the separation method. Recoveries obtained were ranging from 96.87 to 98.82% for real samples and 94.45 to 98.06% for spiked samples, respectively. Linearity was studied in the range of 2-10 mM, and showed a correlation coefficient of 0.9942. LOD and LOQ were found to be 0.3804 mg L-1 and 1.5215 mg L-1 with % RSD (n = 5) ± 1.27 and 1.19% with respect to migration time and peak area. Furthermore, to better understand the separation of sucralose with amine buffers, were investigated computationally using HOMO-LUMO calculations. The obtained results showed that the band gap decreases in the presence of amine moiety irrespective of its nature. Conclusion: In the study, a novel background electrolytic system was successfully applied to separate sucralose using indirect UV detector with capillary electrophoresis. The FTIR results confirmed that the interaction of sucralose with different amine buffers to better understand the separation chemistry behind sucralose and amine complexes. Moreover, computational results indicate that the direction of charge transfer from the amine functionality to the glucofuranosyl ring in each amine derivative of sucralose confirms the strong interaction between sucralose and amines, which led to the baseline separation of sucralose in different food samples.

BACKGROUND The brief-access taste aversion (BATA) model has been used as an alternative taste assessment tool to human taste panels and became an important element of pharmaceutical drug development, especially regarding pediatric patient's compliance. This model has been validated, demonstrating a concentration-dependent sensitivity to drug aversiveness, as well as the capacity to evaluate the taste-masking effects of cyclodextrins. In the BATA model, samples are presented randomly to rodents in numerous sipper tubes and a lickometer is used for the electronic record of licks in a sophisticated approach. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to test possible drug taste-masking strategies. Additionally, we have used an alternative approach to measure the animal lick number in the presence of different compounds, non-simultaneously. RESULTS In the present work we show for the first time the licking profile of different compounds during the time course of the experiment, with each animal being exposed to only one bottle of testing product. To validate the experiments, quinine hydrochloride dihydrate (QHD) was used as a bitter reference compound. CONCLUSION The results obtained using this simple approach showed that aversiveness is dependent on the assay duration, and that it is possible to predict the aversiveness just by measuring the mass of the tested substance consumption. Moreover, some taste-masking strategies, such as those used in pediatric formulations and corresponding to the addition of sweeteners or flavors, cannot be predicted from rodents BATA model.

International audience; 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.

A novel electroanalytical process for sucralose determination has been theoretically suggested. Sucralose is immobilized over an acridine derivative 9-9´-diacridyl, yielding a quaternary salt, which is thereby gradually electrochemically reduced to an N-N´-disubstituted acridone derivative. The correspondent mathematical model has been developed and analyzed by means of linear stability theory and bifurcation analysis, and this analysis has shown the high probability of the oscillatory and monotonic instabilities, due to the double electric layer structure changes during all of the stages of the process. Nevertheless, it also confirms the efficiency of 9-9´-diacridyl-modified electrode for sucralose determination in an electroanalytical system, which may be coupled with a fluorescent indicator. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17807/orbital.v13i3.1584

Roselle calyces contained 10.85, 6.75, 8.61, 1.10, 13.60 and 69.94% of moisture crude protein, ash, ether extract, crude fiber and available carbohydrates, respectively. The major minerals of roselle calyces were Ca, Mg, P, Fe and K which contained 688.34, 234.68, 34.88, 33.42 and 20.56 mg/100g, respectively (on dry weight basis). Dried roselle calyces contained 113.60, 46.50, 28.68, 76.26 and 8.32 mg/100g from ascorbic acid, total polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins and anthocyanin, respectively (on dry weight basis). With respect to roselle beverage storage for 6 months indicated that T.S.S, ash, total sugars, reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars and titratable acidity ranged from 3.19 to 15.63, 3.33 to 7.25, 30.31 to 81.45, 12.60 to 20.81, 9.03 to 65.41 and 0.59 to 0.77%, respectively. It could be noticed that increasing storage period from 0 to 6 months was accompanied by significant decrease in total sugars, reducing sugars and titratable acidity of roselle beverage. pH value of roselle beverage ranged from 2.58 to 2.80. Total phenolic compounds, flavonoid components and the antioxidant activity ranged from 0.90 to 1.24, 0.34 to 0.83 mg/gm and 20.50 to 77.14 μmol/g, respectively. While, increasing storage period from 0 to 6 months led to significant decrease in total phenolic compounds, flavonoid components and the antioxidant activity. Also, organoleptic properties (color, odor, taste, appearance and overall acceptability) were decreased significantly during storage period of roselle beverage.

Purpose Proper taste-masking formulation design is a critical issue for instant-dissolving tablets (IDTs). The purpose of this study is to use the electronic tongue to design the additives of the 3D printed IDTs to improve palatability. Methods A binder jet 3D printer was used to prepare IDTs of levetiracetam. A texture analyzer and dissolution apparatus were used to predict the oral dispersion time and in vitro drug release of IDTs, respectively. The palatability of different formulations was investigated using the ASTREE electronic tongue in combination with the design of experiment and a model for masking bitter taste. Human gustatory sensation tests were conducted to further evaluate the credibility of the results. Results The 3D printed tablets exhibited rapid dispersion ( 90%). The electronic tongue had an excellent ability of taste discrimination, and levetiracetam had a good linear sensing performance based on a partial least square regression analysis. The principal component analysis was used to analyze the signal intensities of different formulations and showed that 2% sucralose and 0.5% spearmint flavoring masked the bitterness well and resembled the taste of corresponding placebo. The results of human gustatory sensation test were consistent with the trend of the electronic tongue evaluation. Conclusions Owing to its objectivity and reproducibility, this technique is suitable for the design and evaluation of palatability in 3D printed IDT development.

Liquid sugar available today is usually the result of dissolving granulated sugar using hot water. Sorghum syrup can be obtained from the concentrate without involving crystallization, centrifugation, sieving and drying and dissolving processes. However, the sorghum syrup produced from the concentrate still containing complex sugar components such as sucrose, sugar, fructose and others. This review was examined the separation of fructose from sorghum syrup using the HPLC approach. Compared with artificial sweeteners or sugar derivative products such as dextrose, maltodextrin, sorbitol, saccharin, sucralose, and xylitol, sorghum syrup still has lower economic value. The manufacture of these sugar derivatives generally uses chemical processes such as chlorination of sucralose, hydrogenation of xylitol or enzymatic processes and fermentation of fructose. Chemical processes in general can pose a danger to consumer health, while enzymatic and biological processes require high operational costs and complex processes of enzyme and cell separation such corn fructose production. Chromatography is a technology for separating complex mixtures such as sorghum concentrates to obtain separate components, such as fructose syrup and byproducts. On a laboratory scale, sugar fractionation or fructose purification is generally carried out using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with the Carbopac ion exchange column as the stationary phase and ultrapure water as the mobile phase. The industrial scale fractionation in the food sector is still applied to palm oil processing. This is a great opportunity to conduct research related to the components of sorghum concentrates using chromatography column fractionation technology to obtain pure fructose with greater process efficiency and economics.

Nonnutritive sweeteners used in food and beverage products are widespread, persistent aquatic pollutants. Despite this, their impact on aquatic organisms, particularly vertebrates, is not well-studied. Recent findings in rodents suggest sucralose, a chlorinated disaccharide, alters thyroid hormone (TH) metabolism. Because amphibian tadpole metamorphosis is TH-dependent, we hypothesized sucralose may alter signaling for this postembryonic developmental process. The present study used the American bullfrog, Rana (Lithobates) catesbeiana, as a sensitive, environmentally relevant model for testing TH disruption in the absence and presence of thyroxine (T4), a hormone that induces metamorphosis. Premetamorphic R. catesbeiana tadpoles were immersed in 1-, 15-, and 32-mg/L sucralose solutions ± 5 nM (3.9 µg/L) thyroxine (T4) for 48 h. RNA transcripts encoding thyroid hormone receptors alpha and beta (thra and thrb) and TH-induced basic region leucine zipper protein (thibz) were analyzed in four tissues: back skin, liver, olfactory epithelium, and tail fin, using reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). We found that sucralose altered the expression of fundamental TH-response genes involved in anuran metamorphosis in a tissue- and TH-status dependent manner. As organochlorines induce xenobiotic metabolism, we isolated and characterized three novel R. catesbeiana gene transcripts involved in xenobiotic metabolism: pregnane X receptor (nr1i2), constitutive androstane receptor (nr1i3), and cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4). We analyzed their expression using RT-qPCR and found evidence of their modulation by sucralose. To our knowledge, these data are the first to show xenobiotic and thyroid-disrupting activities in amphibians and further investigations into cumulative effects of environmental sucralose exposure are warranted.

The aim. The aim of the research was to study the influence of excipients amount on the technological parameters of the compression mixture and tablets based on dry extract of Origanum vulgare L. herb using the method of random balance. Materials and methods. Objects of the study – Origanum vulgare L. herb dry extract, 8 excipients that have been studied at two quantitative levels. The tablets were prepared by direct compression method. The formulations were designed according to the method of random balance. The technological parameters of the compression mixture and tablets based on Origanum vulgare L. herb dry extract have been studied as a function of quantitative factors: silicon, magnesium carbonate basic, dioxide magnesium aluminometasilicate (Neusilin S1®), isomalt (GalenIQ™720), F-melt® Type C (co-spray dried excipients), sucralose, berry flavor and citric acid. Results and discussion. The increase in the amount of Neusilin S1®, GalenIQ™720 and F-melt®, and the decrease in the amount of magnesium carbonate basic and silicon dioxide improved the flowability expressed by the Hausner ratio. Results of bulk density and tapped density of the compression mixture depended on the quantities of GalenIQ™720 and F-melt®. All formulations of the prepared tablets had the rapid disintegration and ranging from 6 to 15 minutes. Resistance for crushing and friability tablets’ were improved with a decrease in the amount of silicon dioxide and increase in the amount of Neusilin S1®, F-melt® and sucralose. Higher resistance to moisture of tablets based on Origanum vulgare L. dry extract was obtained by using Neusilin S1®, F-melt® and sucralose on the upper levels. Conclusions. The tablets based on Origanum vulgare L. herb dry extract were successfully manufactured by direct compression method. The random balance method enabled us to identify the most significant quantitative factors to optimize their composition in the tablets based on the dry extract of Origanum vulgare L. herb.

Rebaudioside A is a promising natural alternative sweetener but they produce increased bitterness, astringency, and unpleasant aftertastes. Glycosylation and blending with different sweeteners are known to improve the sensory characteristics of rebaudioside A. The present study was conducted to identify the relative sweetness and sensory profile of glycosyl rebaudioside A (g-reb A). The relative sweetness of g-reb A compared to 5% sucrose was determined using the two-alternative forced choice method. The sensory profiles of g-reb A and its mixtures with allulose and maltitol (1:1 ratio) were compared to those of rebaudioside A, rebaudioside D, rebaudioside M, sucralose, allulose, maltitol, and sucrose using descriptive analysis conducted by eight trained panelists. The relative sweetness of g-reb A was 155, which was lower than that of rebaudioside A. In addition, the bitter taste and aftertaste, astringency, and sweet onset of g-reb A were decreased compared to those of rebaudioside A.

This study aimed to produce sucrose free dark chocolate and low in calories in order to be suitable for diabetes and those wishing to lose weight or using it for other industrial purpose. Therefore, a suggested recipes were used to prepare low calories dark chocolate using four different intense sugar namely: steviosid, acesulfam-k, sucralose and inulin instead of sucrose with the addition of wheat fiber isolate. The prepared chocolate samples were compared to a sucrose sample (control) in which sucrose was used in its manufacture. Physical properties, chemical composition and sensory properties were determined as well as the caloric value. The results indicates that the caloric value was reduced by 28.46, 28.69, 28.65 and 36.14 % in the prepared samples using stevioside, acesulfam-k, sucralose and inulin, respectively, compared with the sucrose sample. A slight difference between the prepared samples and the sucrose sample has occurred in the physical properties and the chemical composition while the percentage of fiber content significantly increased in prepared low calorie chocolate samples. Although the inulin sample recorded the lowest caloric value among the rest of the prepared samples and the control one, it was more solid than the other samples as well as it showed some unpalatable taste by arbitrators, so the sample which prepared using stevioside was chosen to be the best one for the rest samples, where it has a reduction in the calories by 28.46%, compared to the sucrose one, with high quality properties. Effect of storage at (10°C) on the stability of stevioside sample was studied by estimating its value of each free fatty acids and peroxide values every 15 days during the storage period (3 months). The results confirmed the high stability of the stevioside sample during the storage period.

Background: Overconsumption of added sugars, particularly refined sugars, has been shown to be associated with adverse health concerns. Aim: The present study aimed to elaborate calorie-reduced marmalades with nutritional benefits as well as satisfactory sensory properties, in order to reduce sugar intake without compromising consumers' acceptance. Materials and methods: Two formulas of sugar-reduced marmalades were elaborated by substituting 30% of sucrose with different commercial non-nutritive sweeteners: a blend of aspartame-acesulfame-K and sucralose. Physico-chemical, sensory, and microbiological analyses were carried out, in comparison with control sample marmalade. Blood glucose concentrations were determined in 12 healthy volunteers, at 30-min intervals until 120 min after consumption of marmalades. Results: Marmalade quality characterization revealed a significant effect of sucrose substitution on dry extract, Brix, reducing sugars, aw, and CIE Lab color parameters, but not on pH and acidity. The microbiological analysis highlighted that marmalades’ sanitary quality was in accordance with safety standards. Interestingly, sensory analysis by trained panelists showed that the substitution of sucrose by an intense sweetening substance did not impair the sensory properties. Our data also indicate that consumption of calorie-reduced marmalades significantly reduced acute postprandial glycemic responses in healthy volunteers; this effect was more pronounced with sucralose. Conclusions: Taken together, our results showed that the use of sucralose can constitute a relatively healthy choice for food basket of families, in particular for those with high risk of lifestyle-related diseases. Keywords: Citrus marmalade, Aspartame-acesulfame-K, Sucralose, Calories reduction, Quality, Glycemic response.

Human taste threshold measurements often are used to infer tastant receptor functionality. However, taste thresholds can be influenced by receptor-independent variables. Examination of the full range of taste-active concentrations by taste discrimination has been hampered by logistics of testing multiple concentrations in replicate with human subjects. We developed an automated rapid throughput operant methodology for taste discrimination and applied it to concentration-response analysis of human taste. Tastant solutions (200 µl) drawn from a 96-well plate and self-administered to the tongue served as discriminative stimuli for money-reinforced responses on a touch-sensitive display. Robust concentration-response functions for "basic taste" stimuli were established, with particular focus on agonists of the taste 1 receptor member 2-taste 1 receptor member 3 heterodimer receptor (TAS1R2/R3). With a training cue of 100 mM sucrose, EC50 values of 56, 79, and 310 µM and 40 mM were obtained for rebaudioside A, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, and sucrose, respectively. Changing the sucrose training cue to 300 mM had no impact, but changing to 30 mM resulted in slight leftward shifts in potencies. A signal detection method also was used to determine values of d', a probabilistic value for discriminability, which indicated that 5 mM was near the limits of detection for sucrose. With repeated testing, both EC50 values and 5 mM sucrose d' values were established for each individual subject. The results showed little correspondence between threshold sensitivities and EC50 values for sucrose. We conclude that concentration-response analysis of taste discrimination provides a more reliable means of inferring receptor function than measurement of discriminability at the lowest detectable tastant concentrations. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Many inferences about human tastant receptor functionality have been made from taste threshold measurements, which can be influenced by variables unrelated to receptors. We herein report a new methodology that enables rigorous concentration-response analysis of human taste discrimination and its use toward quantitative characterization of tastant agonist activity. Our data suggest that taste discrimination concentration-response functions are a more reliable reflection of underlying receptor activity than threshold measures obtained at the lowest detectable tastant concentrations.

Aspartame (ASP) and sucralose (SUC) are non-nutritive sweeteners which are widely consumed worldwide. They are considered safe for human consumption, but their effects on certain physiological aspects, such as the lifespan or health status, of the organism have not yet been studied in depth and only limited data are available in the literature. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of ASP and SUC on the lifespan and health indexes using Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as a model system. Interestingly, it was shown that at the concentrations tested, ASP (0.03-3 mg mL-1) showed an increasing trend of the mean lifespan of C. elegans, with a significant increase of 27.6% compared to the control at 3 mg mL-1. Similarly, SUC (ranging from 0.03 to 10 mg mL-1) also significantly increased the mean lifespan by 20.3% and 22.3% at 0.03 and 0.3 mg mL-1, respectively. However, 10 mg mL-1 SUC had a negative effect on the lifespan, though it did not reach a statistically significant level. In addition, ASP and SUC decreased lipofuscin accumulation and transiently improved motility, indicating improved health status. Nonetheless, they had different effects on food intake and intestinal fat deposition (IFD) at different intervals of time. Taken together, our findings revealed that ASP and SUC can prolong the lifespan and improve the health status of C. elegans.

Background: In the last few years there has been emerging interest in substituting added sugars from juices with other sweeteners to make them healthier. But their long-term effects have been poorly evaluated. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of the addition of stevia, sucralose and sucrose (control) to maqui-citrus beverages on antioxidant and inflammatory status. Methods: a 3-arm parallel, randomized and triple blind clinical trial was performed in overweight subjects (n = 138), who consumed the test beverage (330 mL day-1) for 60 days. The following markers were determined: antioxidant status (ORAC, homocysteine, and oxidized LDL), safety parameters (ALP, AST, ALT, and total bilirubin), lipid profile (total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides) and inflammatory biomarkers (IL-6, TNF-a, and IL-10). Results: The homocysteine levels significantly increased after consumption of sucralose (27%, p = 0.001) and sucrose (40%, p = 0.006). A significant increase in the IL-10 concentration after consumption of the stevia sweetened beverage, and in ORAC values (21%) in subjects with lower basal antioxidant status were observed. The HDL and total cholesterol levels significantly increased after consumption of sucralose (p = 0.039) and sucrose (p = 0.001), respectively. No changes in triglycerides, LDL or oxidized LDL were observed. Conclusions: Oxidative stress and an inflammatory response were observed after consumption of these sweetened beverages, with the exception of stevia, which produced an anti-inflammatory response. The possible antioxidative effects of this polyphenol-rich beverage may only benefit those individuals with poorer antioxidant status. Many randomized controlled trials at normal levels of consumption using commonly consumed sweeteners are necessary to clarify their roles in health., The authors acknowledge the financial support from Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología (CICYT)

Sucralose is a widely consumed non-nutritive sweetener (NNS). Studies have shown that some NNS can favor weight gain by altering the intestinal microbiota, satiety hormone production, or aspects related to glucose homeostasis. In this study, we investigated the effects of ad libitum sucralose consumption in mice fed with normal or high-fat diet (HFD) for an extended period (16 weeks). Weight gain, final body composition, energy expenditure, intestinal and pancreatic hormone production, and endotoxemia during a voracity test, as well as liver and skeletal muscles were evaluated after 16 weeks. We observed that sucralose supplementation reduced weight gain in HFD-fed mice but did not change weight gain in mice fed with normal diet. The evaluation of HFD mice showed that sucralose supplementation resulted in improvements in glycemic homeostasis, hepatic steatosis, and increased energy expenditure. Our results suggest that sucralose consumption promotes different outcomes in relation to weight gain when combined with different diets, which may explain the controversial data in previous studies, and can be considered in future clinical research aimed at clarifying the impact of NNS consumption on human health.

Sweeteners are food additive substances that give a sweet taste to foods but their use in oenological practices is forbidden. Making use of the capabilities of liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, a method for wine analysis was developed and validated for the detection and quantitation of some of the most widely used sweeteners: aspartame, potassium acesulfame, sodium cyclamate, saccharin, sucralose and stevioside. A matrix-matched calibration was used for all compounds obtaining a linear concentration range from 50 μg/L to 1000 μg/L. The limit of detection ranged from 0.002 mg/L to 0.014 mg/L, and the limit of quantification varied between 0.005 mg/L and 0.048 mg/L. Precision and recovery were assessed for 50 μg/L, 250 μg/L and 1000 μg/L with repeatability and intermediate precision values from 0.6% to 21.6% and 2.7% to 26.4% respectively, and recoveries ranging from 60% to 126%. These results were achieved using minimal sample preparation with a fast and high throughput method that is applicable to a wide range of wine matrices.

Sucralose is one of the most widely used artificial sweeteners, free of nutrients and calories. Its approval and uses correlate with many of the worldwide epidemiological changes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Multiple animal studies by us and others showed that sucralose exacerbated ileitis in SAMP1/YitFc mice and 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis in rats. In this study, we further investigated the effect of sucralose on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice and the associated mechanisms. Male C57BL/6 mice received 1.5 mg ml-1 sucralose in drinking water for 6 weeks. Then, 2.5% DSS was added to drinking water for 7 days to induce ulcerative colitis (UC). The results showed that, compared with the DSS group, administration of sucralose exacerbated the severity of colitis as indicated by the further decrease in body weight, increase in disease activity index (DAI) and the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, as well as the activation of the TLR5-MyD88-NF-κB signaling pathway, and the disturbances of intestinal barrier function, along with changes in the intestinal microbiota. Our findings indicate that sucralose may increase the susceptibility to DSS-induced colitis through causing dysbiosis of intestinal microbiota and damage to the intestinal barrier.

This work investigated the effects of repeated sweet taste exposure at breakfast on perceptions and intakes of other sweet foods, while also examining the effects due to duration of exposure (1/3 weeks), test context (breakfast/lunch) and associations between taste perceptions and intakes. Using a randomised controlled parallel-group design, participants (n 54, 18 male, mean age: 23·9 (sd 5·8) years, mean BMI: 23·6 (sd 3·5) kg/m2) were randomised to consume either a sweet breakfast (cereal with sucralose) (n 27) or an equienergetic non-sweet breakfast (plain cereal) (n 27) for 3 weeks. On days 0 (baseline), 7 and 21, pleasantness, desire to eat and sweetness were rated for other sweet and non-sweet foods and sweet food consumption was assessed in an ad libitum meal at breakfast and lunch. Using intention-to-treat analyses, no statistically significant effects of exposure were found at breakfast (largest F2,104 = 1·84, P = 0·17, ηp2 = 0·03) or lunch (largest F1,52 = 1·22, P = 0·27, ηp2 = 0·02), and using Bayesian analyses, the evidence for an absence of effect in all rating measures was strong to very strong (smallest BF01 = 297·97 (BF01error = 2·68 %)). Associations between ratings of pleasantness, desire to eat and intake were found (smallest r = 0·137, P < 0·01). Effects over time regardless of exposure were also found: sugars and percentage energy consumed from sweet foods increased throughout the study (smallest (F2,104 = 4·54, P = 0·01, ηp2 = 0·08). These findings demonstrate no effects of sweet taste exposure at breakfast for 1 or 3 weeks on pleasantness, desire for, sweetness or intakes of other sweet foods in either the same (breakfast) or in a different (lunch) meal context.

In this study, Central Composite Rotatory Design (CCRD) of Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used for the optimization of levels of Costus speciosus extract and sucralose in the low calorie burfi. The response variables used were sensory characteristics: flavour, body and texture, colour and appearance, sweetness and overall acceptability. Coefficient of determination (R2) ranged from 81 per cent to 92 per cent for all the attributes and the Adequate Precision Value (APV) came in the range of 5.87 to 10.09. From the models, the optimum level of Costus speciosus extract and sucralose to achieve the predicted maximum response values were found to be 63.12 and 151.85 ppm respectively. The developed product was analysed for its physico-chemical properties and microbiological characteristics. The product was found to contain 26.98 percent fat, 25.43 per cent protein, 18.58 per cent lactose, 81.40 per cent total solids, 4.6 percent ash, 18.60 percent moisture and 0.36 per cent lactic acid. Freshly prepared low calorie burfi had a Standard Plate Count (SPC) of 4.82 log10cfu/g and yeast and mould count of 1.90 log10cfu/g. Coliform count was found to be absent in the samples.

Estimated intake of six low and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS) (acesulfame potassium, aspartame, cyclamate, saccharin, steviol glycosides and sucralose) from processed foods and beverages, as well as from tabletop sweeteners uses, by the Brazilian population were derived and compared to the respective Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI). The estimates were based on dietary consumption data from a nationwide cross-sectional survey conducted by the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) in 2008-2009 and LNCS use rates and associated market share information based on data provided by Brazilian industry members. Two intake scenarios were considered: a conservative brand loyal consumer scenario that assumes all LNCS-containing foods and beverages and tabletop sweeteners contain the maximum reported LNCS concentrations (Scenario A) and a scenario representative of the general consumer population that uses a market share weighted average of the reported concentrations (Scenario B). Intake estimates were derived for the total Brazilian population (age 10 + y), and for the subpopulations of adolescents (10-18y), adults (19-59y), and older adults (60 + y). Intake of LNCS up to the 95

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.

High consumption of sugar contributed in increasing the rate of several diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes. To overcome this problem, sweeteners might be suggested as an alternative to substitute sucrose. Meanwhile, sucrose plays functional roles added to taste. This study aimed to assess the effect of partial replacement of sucrose by natural sweeteners in place of artificial, to low sugar strawberry jams on physico-chemical quality, safety, sensory and nutritional properties. Three formulas of sugar reduced strawberry jams were elaborated by substituting sucrose by artificial (sucralose) and natural (Stevia, fructose) sweeteners. Quince puree was added to improve quality parameters. Physico-chemical, microbiological, textural and sensory analyses were carried out. Blood glucose concentrations were determined in 12 healthy volunteers, at 30-min intervals until 120 min post consumption of jams. Jam quality characterization revealed a significant effect of this substitution on jam pH, acidity, and soluble solids (Brix). Sanitary quality was in compliance with safety standards. Furthermore, changes in textural properties (Firmness, Adhesiveness) were observed upon to the sweeteners used. In contrast, partial substitution of sucrose by fructose or Stevia did not impair jam sensory properties and consumers’ acceptance, but the use of sucralose has compromised consumers’ acceptance. Interestingly consumption of sugar reduced jams significantly lowered acute post-pandrial glycaemic responses in healthy volunteers. Taken together, our results showed that Stevia could not only be a natural food sweetener used in jams, but also a relatively healthy choice for food basket of families with high risk of life style related diseases.

Sugar substitutes are among the most widely used food additives. Increasing number of scientific research on their adverse effect on various body functions has been appearing lately. The objective of this research is to study the effect of sucralose, a sugar substitute, on the thyroid functional state. Involved in the research were 30 women, aged 19-28, estimating themselves healthy. The blood content of free and general triiodothyronine, free and general thyroxine, as well as of thyrotropic hormone was determined. Thereafter, the women were taking sucralose for a month daily in a dose of 15 mg/kg, the blood content of the hormones mentioned above having been tested again. Reliable 2.0, 1.58, and 1.46 times decrease in the blood content of free and general triiodothyronine, and general thyroxine, respectively, as well as reliable 4.41 times increase in the blood content of thyrotropic hormone (Р < 0.001) has been found. Our findings on the sucralose-induced decrease in the level of thyroid hormones confirm the results of other researchers regarding sucralose as biologically inert compound that should be kept in mind when evaluating its effect on the patients with endocrine pathology.

This paper describes a metrological approach to evaluate the measurement capability of laboratories participating in a then Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation [APLAC, now Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation] proficiency testing (PT) programme on mass fraction of acesulfame potassium and sucralose in cake mix flour. The programme was jointly organised by the Chemical Metrology Laboratory of the Health Sciences Authority, Singapore, and the Singapore Accreditation Council. Through the extensive APLAC network of accreditation bodies, 41 nominated laboratories from 32 economies registered, of which 40 laboratories submitted their results. Reference values of artificial sweeteners in the programme for performance evaluation were obtained from a high-accuracy liquid chromatography isotope dilution mass spectrometry (LC-IDMS) method. One of the unique features of this PT programme was the provision of pure substance certified reference materials (CRMs) of acesulfame potassium and sucralose to the participating laboratories as calibration standards to ensure comparability and metrological traceability of results. The participating laboratories’ performance, based on z-scores, were evaluated using the assigned reference value determined from IDMS. Five and one of the laboratories’ results would be incorrectly evaluated using consensus value calculated from the laboratories’ results for performance evaluation and using commercial standard as calibrant, respectively. This PT programme demonstrates the importance of the use of metrologically traceable reference values as the assigned values for appropriate evaluation of accuracy and reliable assessment. The provision of CRMs also heightened the testing laboratories’ awareness on the importance of using CRMs as calibrants for accurate measurements.

Dietetic functional Basundi was manufactured by employing low fat milk (1.5 per cent) with WPC and blend of stabilizer as fat replacer; Sucrose was replaced with intense sweetener sucralose and the bulk of sucrose was replaced with different combination of blend of polydextrose, maltodextrin and sorbitol as bulking ingredients. Replacement of sucrose with intense sweetener and combination of bulking ingredients did not affect compositional and physico-chemical attributes however a non-significant rise in 5’HMF content was observed with increase in ploydextrose content in the bulking ingredients’ blend. Viscosity followed the similar trend that was noted for 5’HMF. In sensory attributes body and texture and flavour score had significant impact of replacement of sucrose. Polydextrose in the blend when increased to more than 9.0 percent, it increased the body and texture and flavour score significantly, however such increase was non-significant for body and texture score, while flavour score decreased non-significantly. Overall acceptability score followed the similar trend observed for body and texture score. Polydextrose: Maltodextrin: Sorbitol in the proportion of 12:01:03 was considered best because of creamier body with polydextrose and sorbitol being more laxative at increased proportions.

The food industry has a consumer market with growing interest in modified products, so this study aimed to evaluate consumer acceptance and characterize the temporal profile of traditional and lactose-free "low calorie chocolate ice creams". Six different samples were produced: three formulated with traditional whole milk sweetened with sucrose, sucralose and stevia and three formulated with lactose-free whole milk, also sweetened with the same sweeteners. Time-intensity analysis, temporal dominance of sensation and acceptance analysis were performed. The ice cream with lactose-free milk sweetened with stevia had a lower acceptance. The samples sweetened with sucrose were characterized by intensity, duration and dominance of the "sweet" and "chocolate flavor", while the samples sweetened with sucralose were characterized by intensity and duration of the "sweet" stimulus and also by the dominance of the "milk flavor" stimulus. The samples sweetened with stevia were characterized by greater intensity and duration of bitter stimulus, being also characterized by intensity of sweet taste and chocolate flavor. It can be verified that the use of stevia promotes relevant difference in lactose-free ice cream when compared to traditional ice cream, increasing the duration and dominance of bitter taste, as well impacting and decreasing the consumer acceptance. However, the addition of sucralose did not promote significant changes in the profile of both formulations.

Refereed/Peer-reviewed Background: Cilostazol is an anti-platelets drug with considerable antithrombotic effects in vivo. Therefore, it is widely used by elderly patients. However, it suffers from poor bioavailability due to its low aqueous solubility. The objective of this work was to enhance the dissolution of cilostazol with the aim of formulating fast dissolving tablets for geriatrics and those of swallowing difficulties. Methods: Ethanol-assisted co-grinding of cilostazol with sugar-based excipients was adopted. Sucralose and mannitol were used for this purpose as hydrophilic excipient as well as taste improving agents. The obtained products were investigated regarding differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and in vitro drug dissolution. Fast disintegrating tablets were prepared and evaluated. Results: Thermal behavior of the developed products reflected reduced crystallinity, it also suggested possible existence of new crystalline species with sucralose. Eutexia was also suggested for mannitol mixtures, that was supported by X-ray diffraction data. SEM indicated size reduction with the deposition of the drug as submicron particles over the excipient surface. Co-processing markedly improved cilostazol dissolution compared to unprocessed drug. The optimized formulations were successively formulated into fast disintegrating tablets. Conclusion: This investigation introduced the wet grinding strategy with sugar excipients as a platform for the formulation of easy to use tablets with optimum drug release. usc

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 hours daily. Male and female mice showed a preference for water consumption with sucralose or stevia. Both of the two sweeteners significantly reduced 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 caused an elevation in IgA and reduction in IL-10 levels.

Background/objective The relationship between postprandial glycaemic responses and cognitive performance, mood and satiety are inconsistent. The objective of this study is to compare the effects of different glycaemic responses, induced by beverages with different glycaemic index (GI) (sucrose and isomaltulose), and a non-glycaemic control (sucralose), on cognition, mood and satiety. Subjects/methods In this double-blinded, randomised crossover trial, healthy adults (n = 55) received sucrose (GI 65), isomaltulose (GI 32) and sucralose (non-caloric negative control) drinks on separate occasions. The Complex Figure test, the Word Recall test, Trail Making Test Part B and the Stroop test were administered 60 min after beverages ingestion. Mood and satiety were tested along with cognitive performance. Results Comparing between isomaltulose and sucrose, there were no significant differences in the mean (95% CI) for the following: Complex Figure: immediate recall -0.6 (-1.7, 0.5), delayed recall -0.8 (-1.9, 0.3); Word recall: immediate recall 0.2 (-0.7, 1.1), delayed recall 0.5 (-0.4, 1.4); Trail Making: completing time -2.4 (-7.5, 2.7) s; Stroop: time used for correct congruent responses -9 (-31, 14) ms and correct incongruent responses -18 (-42, 6) ms. No differences among beverages were found in the mood and satiety scores with exception that participants felt more energetic 60 min after isomaltulose ingestion (p = 0.028 for difference with sucrose) and hungrier 30 min after isomaltulose ingestion (p = 0.036 for difference with sucrose; p = 0.022 for difference with sucralose). Conclusion Under these study conditions there is no convincing evidence for an effect of glycaemic response on cognitive performance, mood or satiety.

The pollutant legislation and its ecotoxicological dates recognize several water pollutants. However, there are others that have not yet been recognized as emerging organic pollutants because the damage that could be caused to the environment, especially in the water, is still unknown. For example, it is interesting to pay attention on Splenda because is increasingly consumed worldwide today. Splenda is one of the emerging pollutants that has not yet been formally declared as a pollutant, but there are some findings that show Splenda as a water pollutant, specifically the sucralose molecule, due to persistence in the environment. In this work, the mineralization of Splenda, in different initial concentrations (72 mg l-1, 144 mg l-1 and 288 mg l-1), was carried out by TiO2 photocatalysis assisted with photo-Fenton. Splenda mineralization is less than 58% by these processes when used separately; however, Splenda was mineralized 62.8% (72 mg l-1), 83.7% (144 mg l-1) and 58.8% (288 mg l-1) by TiO2 photocatalysis assisted with photo-Fenton at 2 h, 5 h and 5 h, respectively. In all cases, the mineralization followed a pseudo-first-order reaction.

This study focused on the effect of short-term intake of sweeteners on feed intake, solution consumption and neurotransmitters release on mice. The results showed that the free drinking of 10 mM sucralose solution, 100 mM maltose solution, 3 mM saccharin solution and 3 g/L stevioside solution for 32 days will not affect the normal development of the body weight and feed intake of the mice. The consumption of maltose solution was significantly higher than that of the other sweeteners. The leptin and insulin levels increased significantly after the short-term intake of these four sweeteners. The dopamine (DA) content in the whole brain of the mice increased significantly only in the maltose group. These results indicate that the short-term intake of the preferred concentrations of maltose, stevioside, sucralose and saccharin will not affect the body weight and feed intake of the mice. Mice prefer maltose solution to other sweeteners solutions. The 100 mM maltose solution and 3 mM saccharin solution could result in the oxidative stress on mice after 32 days’ short-term intake. Compared with other sweeteners, only sugars that could be broken down into small molecules of glucose might have a positive effect on dopamine levels.

Background: Artificial sweeteners interfere with normal physiological processes. Objective: The study aims at assessing the changes associated with consuming different doses of aspartame (Sugar-Match®) and sucralose (Sweetal®). Methods: A total of sixty rats were divided into two phases; phase I was categorized into 6 groups including a control group, sucralose 2 and 4 g/kg, aspartame 0.8 and 1.6 g/kg, and sucrose with dose 0.5 mg/kg given orally every day for 12 weeks. Rats were euthanized and lipid profile was measured. Phase II comprised 4 groups including the same previously mentioned doses of sucralose and aspartame which were given orally every day for 12 weeks then omitted for further 6 weeks to study the ability of body to restore the biological changes associated with their consumption. Results: The highest triglyceride level was observed in rats fed on high dose sucralose (80.83 ± 5.46 mg/dl) and aspartame (78.83 ± 4.17 mg/dl). After 12 weeks of experimentation, cholesterol was higher in all groups. LDL-C was the highest in rats supplemented with a high dose of aspartame (43.90 ± 8.41 mg/dl), followed by a low dose of aspartame (39.28 ± 2.03 mg/dl). Terminating intake of artificial sweeteners caused large drop in LDL-C in rats fed on high dose of aspartame, while HDL-C increased slightly but insignificantly. Severe histopathological changes in liver and kidney tissues were observed in rats supplemented with a high dose of aspartame. Conclusion: Supplementing rats with aspartame and sucralose for 12 weeks increased lipid profile. Pathological changes were recovered neither in the liver nor in the kidney even after terminating artificial sweeteners intake.

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.

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

Monitoring of high intensity artificial sweeteners in the food industry for environmental and human health has become relevant in recent years. This work exploits the electrocatalytic properties of the laccase enzyme for sensing of a high intensity sweetener sucralose experimentally and supported by computational modeling. The fabrication of the laccase biosensor was achieved using laccase immobilized onto zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) capped with p-amino thiophenol (ATP) and covalently attached to graphene oxide (GO) modified glassy carbon electrode (Lac/ZnONPs-ATP-GO/GCE). The developed biosensor exhibited an 8-fold enhancement of differential pulse voltammetry signals compared with the bare GCE at pH 5.0 in a 0.1 M phosphate buffer. The amplification of signals was due to a firm binding of laccase onto the surface of GO through high isoelectric point ZnONPs, exhibiting an enzymatic catalytic activity towards the oxidation of sucralose (SUC) at + 0.25 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). Under the optimized experimental conditions, the anodic peak current linearly increased with the sucralose concentrations ranging from 0.025–0.1 mM (R2 = 0.9984) and 0.25–1.0 mM (R2 = 0.9979) with a detection limit (S/N = 3) of 0.32 μM. Furthermore, the proposed strategy was confirmed by assessing the interactions between the sucralose and the laccase using computational tools. First, the density functional theory (DFT) calculations of SUC revealed a HOMO–LUMO energy gap of − 0.2555 eV, suggesting a great tendency to act as an electron donor. Furthermore, adsorption and sucralose-laccase docking studies were carried out to better understand the redox mechanisms. These results revealed that SUC forms hydrogen bonds with ILE 230 and GLN 228 and other amino acids of the hydrophobic channel of the binding sites, thereby facilitating the redox reaction for the detection of sucralose.

Abstract Consumption of non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) has been consistently associated with obesity and cardiometabolic disease in epidemiologic studies. Herein, we investigated effects of sucralose, a widely used NNS, at a cellular level. We wanted to investigate effect of sucralose on reactive oxygen species accumulation and adipogenesis in a human adipocyte tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in a controlled fashion. Methods In vitro experiments were conducted on commercially available MSCs obtained from human adipose tissue. hMSCs were exposed with sucralose at 0.2 mM (a concentration which could plausibly be observed in the circulatory system of high NNS consumers) up to 1.0 mM (supra-physiologic concentration) in the presence of both normal and high glucose media to detect a dose response based on the outcome measures. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected using Mitosox Red staining and further analyzed by ImageJ and gene expression analysis. Effect of sucralose on adipogenic differentiation was observed in different concentrations of sucralose followed by gene expression analysis and Oil Red O staining. Results Increased ROS accumulation was observed within 72 h of exposure. Increased adipogenesis was also noted when exposed to higher dose of sucralose. Conclusion Sucralose promotes ROS accumulation and adipogenesis in human adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stromal cells.

This study aimed to determine the effect of pure forms of sucralose and aspartame, in doses reflective of common consumption, on glucose metabolism. Healthy participants consumed pure forms of a non-nutritive sweetener (NNS) that were mixed with water and standardized to doses of 14% (0.425 g) of the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for aspartame and 20% (0.136 g) of the ADI for sucralose every day for 2 weeks. Blood samples were collected and analyzed for glucose, insulin, active glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and leptin. Seventeen participants (10 females and 7 males; age, 24 ± 6.8 years; body mass index, 22.9 ± 2.5 kg/m2) participated in the study. The total area under the curve values of glucose, insulin, active GLP-1 and leptin were similar for the aspartame and sucralose treatment groups compared with the baseline values in healthy participants. There was no change in insulin sensitivity after NNS treatment compared with the baseline values. These findings suggest that daily repeated consumption of pure sucralose or aspartame for 2 weeks had no effect on glucose metabolism among normoglycaemic adults. However, these results need to be tested in studies with longer durations. Novelty Daily consumption of pure aspartame or sucralose for 2 weeks had no effect on glucose metabolism. Daily consumption of pure aspartame or sucralose for 2 weeks had no effect on insulin sensitivity among healthy adults.

Tea beverages are getting more popular in Indonesian market. Today, consumers can find tea beverage products in many variants, including ready to drink (RTD) tea beverages. One of the most important ingredient in tea beverages is sugar that provides sweet taste. Due to the increasing concerns on the risk of diabetes mellitus type 2, the Indonesian government has campaigned to reduce sugar consumption. This research purposes were to understand and analyze the type of sweeteners in RTD tea beverages and the producer strategy in reducing sugar. The study was conducted by collecting available RTD tea beverages in modern retail shops. All ingredients on the label was recorded then the correlation with other information on the label and regulation was analyzed. The results showed that all of the sweetened RTD tea beverages (n=58) use sucrose as the sweetener. Sucrose was used singly (81%) or in combination (17%) with other sweeteners. Most RTD tea beverages (60%) used sucralose in combination with sucrose. Others used steviol glycoside (20%) and fructose (20%). There were 24% of the RTD tea beverages that provides claim, 64% of the claim was regarding sugar and calorie. Based on the correlation analysis, it was concluded the tea beverage producers use three strategy in reducing calorie and sugar content in their products, i.e. by 1) totally removing the sugar content, 2) reducing the sweetness level, or 3) combining sucrose with high intense sweetener.

Obesity often originates in early life, and is linked to excess sugar intake. Nonnutritive sweeteners (NNS) are widely consumed as “healthier” alternatives to sugar, yet recent evidence suggests NNS may adversely influence weight gain and metabolic health. The impact of NNS during critical periods of early development has rarely been studied. We investigated the effect of prenatal NNS exposure on postnatal adiposity and adipocyte development. In the CHILD birth cohort (N = 2298), we assessed maternal NNS beverage intake during pregnancy and child body composition at 3 years, controlling for maternal BMI and other potential confounders. To investigate causal mechanisms, we fed NNS to pregnant C57BL6J mice at doses relevant to human consumption (42 mg/kg/day aspartame or 6.3 mg/kg/day sucralose), and assessed offspring until 12 weeks of age for: body weight, adiposity, adipose tissue morphology and gene expression, glucose and insulin tolerance. We also studied the effect of sucralose on lipid accumulation and gene expression in cultured 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte cells. In the CHILD cohort, children born to mothers who regularly consumed NNS beverages had elevated body mass index (mean z-score difference +0.23, 95% CI 0.05–0.42 for daily vs. no consumption, adjusted for maternal BMI). In mice, maternal NNS caused elevated body weight, adiposity, and insulin resistance in offspring, especially in males (e.g., 47% and 15% increase in body fat for aspartame and sucralose vs. controls, p

Objective Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of dietary sucralose on diet preference and growth performance of weaned piglets, and a third experiment was a 28-d safety study to examine if high-dose sucralose could affect the health state of weaned piglets. Methods In experiment one, 48 piglets had free access to a corn-soybean based diet and the same diet supplemented with 150 mg/kg sucralose for 15 d. In experiment two, 180 piglets were blocked into 5 treatments with 6 replications. They were fed basal diets supplemented with 0, 75, 150, 225, and 300 mg/kg sucralose for 28 days. In experiment three, 108 piglets were randomly assigned to 3 treatments and fed diets supplemented with 0, 150 (suitable level), and 1,500 (ten-fold suitable level) mg/kg sucralose for 28 d. Results The experiment 1 showed that piglets preferred (p < 0.05) diets containing sucralose during experimental period. In experiment 2, piglets fed a diet supplemented with 150 mg/kg sucralose had a higher average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) than pigs in the control group and other treatment groups during the experiment period. The concentrations of sucralose over 150 mg/kg may decrease feed intake. However, no difference in feed conversion ratio was observed. In experiment 3, piglets fed diet supplemented with 150 mg/kg sucralose had a higher average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) than that of pigs in the control group and 1500 mg/kg treatment groups during the experiment period. Clinical blood metabolites, organ index and histological morphology were not significantly different between sucralose treatments. Conclusion Sucralose can promote feed intake and thereby improve growth performance of weaned piglets. Moreover, inclusion of 1,500 mg/kg sucralose was demonstrated to have no observed adverse effects. Supplementing 150 mg/kg sucralose for weaned piglets is recommended in this study.

The aim of this paper is to critically analyze the composition of many inositol-based products currently used to treat polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Several different combinations of myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol, with and without additional compounds such as micro- and macroelements, vitamins, and alpha-lipoic acid, have been formulated over the years. Such therapeutic proposals do not take various features of inositol stereoisomers into consideration. As an example, it is important to know that D-chiro-inositol treatment may be beneficial when administered in low doses, yet the progressive increase of its dosage results in the loss of its advantageous effects on the reproductive performance of women and a deterioration in the quality of blastocysts created via in vitro fertilization. In addition, is necessary to consider that the intestinal absorption of myo-inositol is reduced by the simultaneous administration of D-chiro-inositol since the two stereoisomers compete with each other for the same transporter that has similar affinity for each of them. A decrease in myo-inositol absorption is also found when it is coadministered with inhibitors of sugar intestinal absorption and/or types of sugars such as sorbitol, maltodextrin, and sucralose. The combination of these may require higher amounts of myo-inositol in order to reach a therapeutic dosage compared to inositol administration alone, a particularly important fact when physicians strive to obtain a specific plasma level of the stereoisomer. Finally, we must point out that D-chiro-inositol was found to be an aromatase inhibitor which increases androgens and may have harmful consequences for women. Therefore, the inositol supplements used in PCOS treatment must be carefully defined. Clinical evidence has demonstrated that the 40 :1 ratio between myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol is the optimal combination to restore ovulation in PCOS women. Therefore, it is quite surprising to find that inositol-based treatments for PCOS seem to be randomly chosen and are often combined with useless or even counterproductive molecules, all of which can weaken myo-inositol’s efficacy. Such treatments clearly lack therapeutic rationale.

Olive (Olea europaea L.) and mandarin (Citrus reticulatae) have been used therapeutically for their nutraceutical and medicinal value. Olive juice contains high vitamin E and phenolic compounds. Similarly, mandarin is a rich source of vitamin C. Hence olive juice was blended with mandarin fruit juice for increasing the therapeutic, nutritional and functional value of Ready-to-Serve (RTS) beverages. Preliminary study revealed that Ready-to-Serve (RTS) product of olive mandarin (60:40) was highly acceptable on sensory basis by the panel of judges. Olive juice and mandarin juice were utilized at various combinations with sugar and artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose and cyclamate) for preparation of therapeutic RTS beverages and evaluated for physico-chemical and sensory attributes during storage. The study revealed that the therapeutic RTS beverages prepared by blending of olive and mandarin juices with cyclamate has scored maximum for almost all sensorial quality attributes such as appearance, colour, flavour, taste and overall acceptability and also contained phenolic compounds, flavonoids and ascorbic acid in large quantity. A reducing trend was observed in ascorbic acid and increasing trend was observed in acidity content during the storage of beverage at room temperature over a period of 90 days. The beverage changed significantly with respect to TSS content along the storage period.