Trehalulose

What is trehalulose?

Trehalulose is an artificial sugar, a disaccharide composed of glucose and fructose joined by an alpha (1-1) glycosidic bond ^[1].

Trehalulose Structure

Picture 1. Trehalulose structural formula

Nutrition Facts

Calories per gram = 4 ^[8-p.16]
Sweetness relative to sucrose = 60% ^[1]
Net carbohydrates = 100%

Trehalulose Sources

Trehalulose is produced during production of isomaltulose from sucrose ^[1].

Trehalulose Digestion

In the small intestinal lining, the enzyme isomaltase breaks trehalulose to glucose and fructose, which are then absorbed in the small intestine ^[1].

Trehalulose and Dental Caries

Trehalulose has a low potency to cause dental caries ^[1,2,3].

Who can benefit from avoiding trehalulose?

Individuals with glucose-galactose malabsorption ^[6] and GLUT-1 deficiency syndrome ^[7]can have trouble digesting trehalulose. Individuals with hereditary fructose intolerance (HFI) cannot metabolize fructose, so they should avoid trehalulose, which contains fructose.

Trehalulose and Cooking

Trehalulose is a reducing sugar ^[4].
Trehalulose is highly soluble in water ^[5].

Hamada S, 2002, Role of sweeteners in the etiology and prevention of dental caries IUPAC
Ravaud S et al, 2005, Expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies of the trehalulose synthase MutB from Pseudomonas mesoacidophila MX-45 PubMed Central
Thaweboon B et al, 2011, Fermentation of various sugars and sugar substitutes by oral microorganisms Asian Pacific Journal of Tropic Biomedicine
Gamble GR, 2001, The heat induced degradation of melezitose and trehalulose International Cotton Advisory Committee
1993, Process for preparing trehalulose and isomaltulose Patent Genius
Glucose-galactose malabsorption Genetics Home Reference
GLUT1 deficiency syndrome Genetics Home Reference
Rauter AP et al, 2010, Carbohydrates in Sustainable Development I