Trehalose
Trehalose (from Turkish ‘trehala’ – a sugar derived from insect cocoons + -ose) is a sugar consisting of two molecules of glucose. It is also known as mycose or tremalose. Trehalose a disaccharide of α D-glucose that is like maltose but it is a non-reducing sugar which is a major constituent of the circulating fluid of insects, serving as an energy-storage compound.
Occurance:
- Trehalose is a major constituent of the circulating fluid (hemolymph) of insects.
- It is also found in yeasts and other fungi.
- Small amounts in mushrooms, honey, lobsters, shrimps, certain seaweeds (algae), wine, beer, bread and other foods produced by using baker’s or brewer’s yeast
Structure:
- The two anomeric carbon atoms of the two α-D-glucose moieties forms a lycosidic bond with each other to give a molecule of trehalose.
- Alpha-linked disaccharide formed by an α,α-1,1-glucoside bond between two α-glucose units.
Properties:
- It resembles sucrose in being a non-reducing sugar as it has no free aldehyde group.
- It is soluble in ethanol, insoluble in diethyl ether and benzene.
- On hydrolysis, it yields D-glucose. It is hydrolyzed by HCl.
Function:
- It serves as an energy storage compound.
- It also serves as a stress protectant.
Function in the Human Body:
- Trehalose is a source of energy – it can provide about 4 Calories per gram, about the same as sucrose
Digestion:
- In the small intestinal lining, the enzyme trehalase breaks trehalose into two glucose molecules, which are then absorbed.
- Healthy individuals can completely digest 10-50 grams of trehalose from a single meal.
- Some individuals, especially those with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and digestive problems mentioned below, may be sensitive to lower amounts, though.
- Any undigested trehalose passes to the large intestine where normal bacteria break it down to gases and irritant substances that can cause abdominal bloating or diarrhea
Production:
- As a food additive, trehalose is artificially produced from corn starch using several bacterial enzymes such as alpha-amylase, obtained from Bacillus licheniformis, and isoamylase from Pseudomonas amyloderamosa.
Uses :
- No great benefit as a sweetener, it is less than half as sweet as sugar and has a similar glycemic index. However it has a multitude of other uses and applications.
- Trehalose is heat stable and preserves the cell structure of foods after heating and freezing, so it is used as a food texturizer and stabilizer in dried foods, frozen foods, nutrition bars, fruit fillings and jams, instant noodles and rice, white chocolate, sugar coating, bakery cream, processed seafood and fruit juices.
- Trehalose, unlike sucrose is resistant to non-enzymatic browning which is mainly the result of Maillard reaction and carmelization. Since it is a non-reducing sugar it do not undergo Maillard reaction with compounds containing amino groups such as amines, amino acids, peptides or proteins.
- In nature it has amazing qualities which seem to prevent damage to cells from drying out or freezing. These properties can have advantages in the production of cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and foodstuffs.
- In medicine trehalose is a key ingredient of the solutions used for cryopreservation of stem cells as well for effective preservation of organs and tissues for transplantation.
- It is an additive, which prolongs shelf-life of vaccines and antibodies and in case of numerous thermolabile enzymes such as DNA polymerase or restriction enzymes allows to store them at ambient temperatures
- It is useful as a component of frozen foods and ration packs etc. It is temperature stable and can be used in cooking.
- It has been shown to inhibit the degradation of carbohydrates, proteins, and fatty acids in foods. Thus it can act as a safe preservative.
- In addition it has been found to inhibit the development of bacteria that cause body odor, so it may find use as a cosmetic.
- Eye drops containing this sugar have proved useful in the treatment of dry eye syndrome.
- It may even help to mitigate against insulin resistance and become a useful tool against the onset of diabetes. It has a hypoinsulinemic effect, the exact opposite of fructose.
- Using trehalose allows sperm storage at room temperatures.
References:
- http://www.nutrientsreview.com/carbs/disaccharides-trehalose.html
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/trehalose
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trehalose
- https://www.laboratoires-thea.com/en/ocular-health-section/dry-eye/what-trehalose
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282949317_Trehalose__properties_biosynthesis_and_applications
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