Erythritol Is It Bad?

1 Physical and chemical properties of erythritol

1.1 Source and type

Erythritol, also known as protoalcohol and erythritol, is a kind of natural active substance widely existed in nature. Erythritol can be found in seaweed, lichen, mushrooms, melons, grapes and common fermented foods such as soy sauce, wine and chewing gum. Erythritol is also found in small amounts in the eyeballs, blood plasma and fetal fluids of animals. Currently, there are three main methods for the production of erythritol, namely biological extraction, chemical synthesis and microbial fermentation. In comparison, microbial fermentation is the most ideal method for the production of erythritol due to its mild production conditions, stable product quality and high food safety [1]. At present, large-scale production of erythritol by microbial fermentation has been carried out both at home and abroad, and most of the microorganisms used are food-grade hypertonic yeasts, such as Candida, Pichia, Trigonopsis, Moniliella, Torulopsis, and Filipino leavening agents. Trichospornides, Hansenula and Yarrowia [2-4].

1.2 Structure and properties

Erythritol, scientifically known as 1,2,3,4-tetrabutyl alcohol, molecular formula C4H10O4, molecular weight 122.1198, structure as in Fig. 1. Erythritol is odorless white crystalline powder, relative sweetness is 0.65, easy to crystallize, easily soluble in water, high stability to acid and heat, insoluble in strong oxidants. Compared with xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol and other functional sugar alcohols, it has lower molecular weight, high osmotic pressure of solution and low hygroscopicity.

1.3 Safety and Regulations

The safety of raw materials and additives is the primary consideration in the development and research of a new food resource. Domestic and foreign researchers have conducted a series of animal and clinical trials on the safety of erythritol, and the results show that erythritol is biotolerant, safe and non-toxic, safe for diabetic patients, non-fermented, and does not cause gastrointestinal discomfort [5].

Japan's food regulations approved as early as 1990, erythritol can be used directly as a food ingredient; the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved erythritol to obtain the U.S. Safe Food Ingredients (GRAS) certification in 1997 and allowed in the labeling “beneficial to dental health”; the World Food Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) joint research on erythritol. World Food Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) approved erythritol as a food sweetener in 1999, without the need to specify the value of ADI; in 1999, Australia and New Zealand Food Surveillance Authority (AN, A) approved erythritol as a food ingredient; China's Ministry of Health in May 2008, officially issued an announcement on the approval of new resource foods such as erythritol, allowing erythritol to be used as a food ingredient for the purpose of food safety and health care. In May 2008, the Ministry of Health of China also officially issued a notice on the approval of new food resources such as erythritol, allowing the use of erythritol in various types of food in accordance with the production needs of the appropriate amount [6]. In addition, Health Canada announced the approval of erythritol as a sweetener in some carbonated beverages in 2016. In the same year, the European Union issued a Commission regulation approving the use of erythritol as a flavor enhancer in low-energy or no-added-sugar flavored beverages, and allowing erythritol to be used as a food additive in organic foods.

2 Applications of Erythritol

Erythritol has good physicochemical properties and biological activity, and is widely used in many fields such as food processing industry, pharmaceutical industry and daily chemical industry.

2.1 Application in food processing industry

Erythritol has been widely used in the food industry in recent years due to its low melting point, low caloric value, low hygroscopicity, good sweetness coordination, high heat absorption when dissolved, and high stability to acid and heat.

As early as in the 1980s, Japan took the lead in introducing sugar-free tea drinks with added erythritol, which was widely recognized by consumers. Nowadays, more and more low-sugar and low-calorie beverages as well as candies, gums, chocolates and other sweets are using erythritol to adapt to the market needs and to meet the health requirements of consumers. In addition, erythritol has antioxidant properties, which can scavenge free radicals and inhibit their formation. It has been reported that the addition of erythritol to lemon juice drinks not only enhances the taste of the drinks, but also protects the vitamins in the drinks and prolongs the shelf life [7-8].

Since there is no enzyme system in the human body to metabolize erythritol, erythritol does not participate in the metabolism of sugar after entering into the human body, and almost does not cause changes in blood glucose, and most of it will be discharged from the urine through the kidneys. This unique metabolic characteristic makes erythritol safe for patients with limited sugar consumption. Therefore, erythritol is widely used in functional foods and beverages for diabetes mellitus, glucose intolerance, obesity and other special populations [9].

With the rise of the concept of “green baking”, erythritol has been used to replace part of sucrose in bakery products to maintain the good taste and at the same time to prevent moisture and extend the shelf life of food. Kraft added erythritol in its Oreo series products, so that the cookie calorie reduction at the same time also increased the unique refreshing taste [10].

Erythritol has good crystallization properties. Wang Hairong et al. prepared a solid erythritol-honey compound by melt co-crystallization method, which preserved the natural components of honey and solved the problems of processing, transportation and storage of honey. In addition, erythritol-honey co-crystals have the advantages of good solubility, uniform flavor and convenient consumption, which are convenient for the application of honey [11].

In the food processing industry, it is often necessary to add some natural sugar alcohols to improve the functional properties of dehydrated foods and proteins, as well as to stabilize and protect biomolecules in solution, inhibit the formation of macromolecule aggregates, inhibit the denaturation of proteins at the air-water interface, and improve the stability of protein emulsions under different environmental factors. Erythritol, as a promising natural sweetener, has received more and more attention from the food industry. Zhou Xiangjun et al. found that the moderate addition of erythritol to pea protein separation and extraction can not only effectively improve the structure of pea protein, but also improve its foaming, water retention, emulsification, and surface hydrophobicity and other functional properties, which provides a theoretical basis for the large-scale and in-depth application of pea protein in the food industry [12-13].

Erythritol can promote the combination of ethanol molecules and water molecules in solution, which can not only shorten the fermentation cycle to a greater extent, but also effectively reduce the odor and sensory stimulation of alcohol in alcoholic beverages, and improve the quality of alcoholic beverages.

Erythritol can also significantly improve the undesirable odor of plant extracts, collagen, peptides and other substances. Therefore, some collagen products have been formulated with erythritol to improve the taste [14].

2.2 Applications in the pharmaceutical industry

The anti-caries property of erythritol is a hotspot of erythritol application in recent years. Zhang Fan et al. [15] demonstrated that the mixture of erythritol and milk has the ability to inhibit the growth of Streptococcus mutans adhering to the biofilm and to promote the remineralization of demineralized enamel, which can prevent the development of caries to a certain extent. In the future, erythritol-milk mixture, as a safe and nutritious food, is likely to become another effective way to prevent caries instead of fluoridated milk. Li Weidan showed that erythritol can inhibit Porphyromonas gingivalis, the main causative agent of periodontitis, and reduce its adhesion on the surface of dentin, which provides a new direction for the prevention and treatment of periodontal disease [16]. In addition, erythritol can inhibit the growth and acid production of a variety of caries-causing streptococci and fluoride-resistant bacteria [17]. At present, more and more caries prevention products use erythritol instead of traditional fluoride and antibiotics.

The antioxidant property of erythritol is not only added to lemon juice drinks to protect VC, but also can be applied as an in vivo antioxidant to prevent oxidative stress damage in the body. Han et al. demonstrated that erythritol could reduce the oxygenation damage of PC12 cells by H2O2, and had the effect of antioxidant damage in vitro, which provided a theoretical basis for the application of erythritol in the prevention and treatment of diabetes and its complications caused by oxidative stress [18]. In streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, erythritol is not only an excellent scavenger and inhibitor of free radicals, but also protects the endothelial cell layer. In addition, studies have also shown that erythritol inhibits hemolysis induced by 2,2'- azodiisobutylamidine dihydrochloride in rats, and plays a positive role in reducing vascular injury caused by hyperglycemia [19].

In addition, erythritol, with its low hygroscopicity, good dispersibility, good mouthfeel, and good compatibility with various drugs, is increasingly used in many fields such as tablet coating, pharmaceutical excipients, inhalant drug carriers or excipients [20-21].

2.3 Application in daily chemical industry

Erythritol has been used in toothpaste due to its anti-caries properties, promotes the decomposition of plaque, and helps to maintain oral health, KAO (Kao), LG bamboo salt Hyunrun White series of toothpaste are added with erythritol. In addition, erythritol not only has the same moisturizing and improving the roughness of the skin with glycerol, but also low viscosity, cooling effect, has been used by Shiseido for a number of series of skin care products [22].

2.4 Other areas of application

Sugar alcohols are a wide range of non-combustible materials, Guex [23] and Hormansdorfer [24] and others in the patent for the first time described the use of sugar alcohols as a phase change material for thermal energy storage. Among these polyols, erythritol has received the most attention and has been widely used in waste heat recycling, solar cookers, absorption chillers, and automotive coolant waste heat recovery systems [25]. Shen Shile used erythritol as the main phase change material, and added multi-walled carbon nanotubes, adipic acid, urea, mannitol and other materials to improve the performance of erythritol-based organic phase change materials, which extends the scope of use of erythritol composite phase change materials [26].

In addition, erythritol can be used as a component of polymers and additives to produce polyether polyhydroxy compounds, alkyd resins, polyesters, etc. In the chemical industry, erythritol can also be used as a component of polymers. In the chemical industry, erythritol can also be used as an intermediate in organic synthesis and as a raw material for the manufacture of paints and explosives.

3 Outlook

In the past few years, due to the high price of erythritol, the application of erythritol in many fields has been greatly restricted due to the consideration of production cost. However, with the continuous updating of the production and extraction technology of erythritol both at home and abroad in recent years, the price of erythritol has been greatly reduced, which has provided the basis for the application of erythritol in a wide range of fields. In addition, it is believed that in the near future, erythritol will be deeply involved in our lives and applied in all aspects of our lives.

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