The Use of Mogroside in Yogurt as a Sweetener

Yogurt is generally made from milk powder or raw milk, with the addition of cane sugar, pasteurized and cooled, and then cultured with the addition of starter cultures. Yogurt is delicious, with a smooth texture and is rich in nutrients. Compared to regular milk, yogurt is easier for the body to digest. Yogurt is becoming increasingly popular due to its rich nutritional value and good health properties. However, yogurt contains a high amount of cane sugar and is high in calories, so people with special dietary requirements such as diabetes should not eat too much.

Luohan fruit is a deciduous vine in the gourd family that bears fruit year-round. It is a good medicine and fruit with rich nutritional value and health benefits. Luo Han Guo originated in China and can be used both medicinally and as a food. It has the benefits of relieving coughs and phlegm, aiding digestion and nourishing the lungs. It is rich in triterpene glycoside compounds, and the sweetness of the pure product is 300 times that of sucrose. It also has the advantages of being low in calories and non-toxic, and can also resist oxidation, regulate blood lipids and prevent tooth decay. It is a good health product sweetener for all kinds of people, especially diabetics[1].

Replacing sucrose in yogurt with mogroside produces a mogroside-based sugar-free yogurt with the advantages of low sugar content, low calories and being healthy. It is easily accepted by all types of people, especially diabetics.

1 General information about yogurt

1.1 Nutritional value of yogurt

Yogurt is very nutritious. Here are some of the nutritional benefits

(1) It promotes digestion. Consuming yogurt can increase the secretion of digestive juices, improve digestion and boost the appetite.

(2) It has a health-promoting effect. The weak acidity in the intestines becomes slightly alkaline due to the lactic acid in yogurt, and substances that resist bacteria are secreted, which has a health-promoting effect on the body.

(3) Rich in vitamins. During the production of yogurt, some lactic acid bacteria can synthesize vitamin C, which gradually increases the vitamin C content. In addition, yogurt is also rich in folic acid, phosphoric acid, calcium and other nutrients. During pregnancy, yogurt not only provides the body with the necessary energy, but also provides essential vitamins, phosphoric acid and folic acid. During menopause, drinking more yogurt can also increase the calcium content in the body and prevent osteoporosis.

(4) Improves immunity. Yogurt can prevent the proliferation of harmful bacteria in the intestines, stimulate the body's immune system and various physiological activities, and inhibit cancer. Regular consumption of yogurt can improve immunity, prevent atherosclerosis, prevent coronary heart disease and cancer, and lower the body's cholesterol levels.

(5) Regulates intestinal flora. Yogurt contains a lot of lactic acid bacteria. Moderate consumption can maintain the balance of normal flora in the intestines and regulate the beneficial flora in the intestines. Drinking more yogurt has a positive effect on the recovery of patients.

1.2 The future of yogurt

As the living standards of the Chinese people improve and their health awareness gradually increases, the status of dairy products in people's daily lives has also improved significantly. Yogurt, as a food with health benefits and health effects, is very popular. Over the years, the dairy product market in China, especially yogurt, has grown rapidly, increasing at a double-digit rate every year, with the fastest-growing variety being sour milk products[2].

In general, China's dairy industry is moving towards a higher, cleaner and more beneficial direction from the perspective of “safety” and “health”. Health, nutrition and safety have gradually become the development direction of China's dairy market. The dairy industry must constantly pay attention to market trends in order to stay ahead of the curve in terms of product innovation [3].

2 Market utilization of Luo Han Guo

2.1 Medicinal value of Luo Han Guo

The testing personnel detected 18 amino acids in the hydrolysate of Luohanguo, of which 8 are essential amino acids. The ripe fruit is rich in vitamin C and 24 inorganic elements, with a vitamin C content of 313–510 mg/100 g. Vitamin C can effectively prevent the synthesis of nitrosamines in the human body, promote the decomposition of nitrites, and reduce the possibility of cancerous changes in body cells. The separation technology of concentrated monk fruit juice can better retain the vitamin C content. In addition, monk fruit contains 16 essential trace elements, including high levels of potassium, calcium, magnesium and selenium, as well as D-mannitol.

The rich nutrients in the fruit make Luo Han Guo effective in relieving heat, relieving phlegm and coughing, cooling the blood and relaxing the muscles, clearing the lungs and relieving summer heat and quenching thirst; it also has the function of treating acute and chronic bronchitis, pharyngitis, bronchial asthma, whooping cough and other diseases. Drinking Luo Han Guo juice every day can also prevent diseases such as stomach cancer and esophageal cancer, and has very good effects on human health.

In addition to the fruit, the leaves of the monk fruit can be used in medicine and can also be used to extract total flavonoids and kaempferol glycosides. The ethanol extract of its stems and leaves has an inhibitory effect on certain fungi and bacteria.

3 Mogroside

The main sweetening component of Luo Han Guo is Mogroside. In recent years, researchers have found that Mogroside has a variety of biological functions, such as lowering blood sugar, resisting oxidation, lowering blood lipids, and reducing the occurrence of obesity. Therefore, Luo Han Guo can be used in the fields of medicine, health foods, and additive foods [4].

3.1 Use of Mogroside

Mogrosides are abundant in Luo Han Guo. These sweeteners have no calories and do not directly participate in metabolism in the body. They are suitable for sweet foods for special populations such as overweight people, people with hypertension, coronary heart disease, and diabetes. Mogrosides are a general-purpose natural food additive and an ideal natural sweetener to replace artificial sweeteners. It is safe to eat, has no toxic side effects; it is stable and has a high sweetness; it will not cause tooth decay when added to baby food or children's food; and its flavor and sweetness will not be affected by cooking or grilling. It is suitable for use as a sweetener in drinks, baked goods, nutritional foods, low-calorie foods, and low-carbohydrate foods [5].

3.2 Structure and flavor of mogroside

So far, researchers have detected Mogroside mainly as Mogroside V, Simonin I, Mogroside IIE, Mogroside III, Mogroside IIIE, Mogroside IV, etc. [6]. The position, number and stereochemistry of the glucose substituent all affect the sweetness of Mogroside. When the β-OH at the C-11 position of the aglycone is destroyed, the bitter taste of mogroside is significantly increased. However, when the number of glucose substituents is ≥4, the bitter taste is significantly reduced [7]. Mogroside V is a functional isolated substance abundant in fresh ripe Luo Han Guo fruits, and its sweetness is 300 times that of sucrose. Compared to stevioside, mogroside has a longer-lasting sweetness, less bitterness and a longer aftertaste.

Mogroside can be used in the following ways: (1) adding it to coffee or tea has a refreshing and stress-relieving effect; (2) adding it to traditional Chinese medicine can reduce the bitterness and the sweetness profile basically overlaps with that of sugar, which exceeds the function of most sweeteners; (3) adding Mogroside to cooked food makes it taste sweeter without causing fluctuations in blood glucose levels, which is more beneficial for diabetics to consume; adding it to baby food does not cause tooth decay in children and is also good for their health; (5) when making desserts such as biscuits, egg tarts and cakes, it can replace part of the sucrose, which is low in calories and rich in nutrients.

3.3 Physiological activity of mogroside

Mogroside has a high sweetness, very low calories, no unpleasant flavor, light color, good water solubility and stability.

According to the GB 2760-2014 Food Safety National Standard Food Additive Use Standard, mogroside has a very wide range of applications and can be added to various foods as appropriate.

Mogroside is negative in the mutagenicity test, has no genotoxicity, and is a safe, non-toxic product. After ingesting Mogroside, the body does not absorb it, and the intake of high-energy substances is effectively reduced, meeting the requirements of all types of people, especially diabetic patients and overweight people.

3.3.1 Blood glucose and blood fat lowering effect

Mogroside can regulate blood glucose, i.e. it can balance by inhibiting the conversion of dietary glucose and increasing postprandial insulin levels, and can also regulate blood glucose and blood lipids through certain activation pathways [8]. Mogroside has a significant hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effect in mice, as revealed by experiments. It can also significantly reduce the levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and free fatty acids in rat serum, and increase the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Therefore, sweeteners with hypoglycemic effects, especially Mogroside, have attracted considerable attention in recent years.

3.3.2 Anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects

Studies have shown that in a lipopolysaccharide-activated mouse macrophage model, mogroside not only inhibits the inducible NO synthase, but also inhibits the protein and mRNA expression of cyclooxygenase-2, which has anti-inflammatory properties [9]. Shi et al. [10] demonstrated in a mouse test that mogroside V has an anti-inflammatory effect on the respiratory tract. Zhao Yan [11] studied the effects of Mogroside V on the growth, acid production and adsorption of Streptococcus mutans in concentrated Luo Han Guo juice and compared it with other sugars to investigate its role as a natural sweetener in preventing tooth decay. The results showed that in the culture medium containing Luo Han Guo concentrated juice, the growth rate and adsorption of Streptococcus mutans were significantly lower than sucrose, but the acid production was higher. In the culture medium containing Mogroside, there was almost no growth and reproduction, and the difference with xylitol was not obvious, indicating that Luo Han Guo water extract and Mogroside have relatively strong antibacterial activity. Chen Yao et al. [12] studied the anti-inflammatory effect of Mogroside and found that it did not have a significant effect on the inflammation models caused by xylene and carrageenan. A mouse ear swelling model test [13] showed that Mogroside inhibits inflammation. Further research is needed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of Mogroside and its related mechanisms.

3.3.3 Hepatoprotective effect

In a study using a mouse liver test, Xiao et al. [14] found that Mogroside increased the activity of superoxide dismutase in mouse liver homogenates and decreased the content of malondialdehyde. The degree of pathological changes in the liver tissue also decreased significantly, indicating that Mogroside has a protective effect on acute and immune liver damage in mice. Chen et al. [15] studied the complex factors that cause liver fibrosis in rats and the effect of Mogroside on them. Compared with the control group, Mogroside was found to be able to protect rats to a certain extent from liver fibrosis caused by complex factors. Song Kaijuan et al. [16] used specific methods to explore the effects of Mogroside on the activation and death of human hepatic stellate cells LX-2. The results showed that Mogroside can inhibit the activation of hepatic stellate cells by inhibiting the expression of certain proteins, and can also promote the death of hepatic stellate cells, thereby exerting its anti-hepatic fibrosis effect.

3.3.4 Anti-cancer effect

Takao Kijima from Japan [17] showed in cancer inhibition tests that Mogroside V has the function of inhibiting cancer cells, and this carcinogenesis delaying effect is even stronger than that of stevioside. Takasaki et al. [18] found that Mogroside has an inhibitory effect on cancer cells as well as skin and viruses in mice, and that this effect becomes even stronger. In Zexinier, Matsumoto et al. [19] found that Mogroside extract inhibited the expression of genetic risk, thereby inhibiting the production of liver cancer.

3.4 Mogroside applications

Luohanguo has a very wide range of applications in the food industry. The Food and Drug Administration approved Mogroside for use in food in 1995; in July 1996, China also allowed Mogroside to be used as a food additive at the 17th meeting of the National Food Additive Standardization Technical Committee.

Currently, Mogroside is permitted as a food additive in Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, the United Kingdom and other countries. In addition to being used as a natural sweetener, Mogroside can also be used to make nutritious health foods, such as diet pills and allergy-fighting foods. In food processing, Mogroside can replace sucrose sweeteners.

China is the origin and place of cultivation of Luo Han Guo, and the country is rich in resources. The Ministry of Health has included Luo Han Guo in the first batch of food and drug varieties. At the same time, it is widely used in the food and health food industries because of its high sweetness, low caloric value, good water solubility, good thermal stability, non-toxicity, food safety and lack of odor.

4 Mogroside application prospects in yogurt

Fermented milk is one of the most consumed dairy products in the world, and the production of yogurt without artificial sweeteners, thickeners and preservatives, as well as sugar and reduced fat, is a major trend [20]. Nowadays, as people's living standards gradually improve and consumption concepts change, people's requirements for dairy products have shifted from “taste good” to “safe, nutritious and health-promoting”. Functional products with low sugar and low calories are gradually emerging in the market. Mogroside has a high sweetness, very low calories, and no undesirable flavors, so it can be used in the research and development of dairy products.

Mogroside sugar substitute yogurt is based on the processing technology of coagulated yogurt, using Mogroside to replace part of the sucrose, a new type of low-calorie, low-sugar sugar-substitute yogurt has been developed. This yogurt not only retains the original quality of yogurt, but also makes comprehensive use of the nutritional value of Mogroside. It has beneficial effects on the human body, such as low sugar and calorie content and lowering blood sugar and blood lipids, which further expands the yogurt market.

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