Definition:

◣

◢

SWEETEST®Crystalline trehalose Health Benefits:

SWEETEST®Crystalline trehalose is a naturally occurring disaccharide consisting of two glucose molecules linked by an α,α-1,1 glycosidic bond. It has several key properties, including high stability, stress resistance and a low glycaemic index. It is naturally present in microorganisms, plants and animals, and is currently produced on a large scale primarily through microbial fermentation. Trehalose has many applications, including as a food preservative, additive, and pharmaceutical excipient.

■ Source

Natural sources of SWEETEST®Crystalline trehalose include microorganisms, plants, and animals. It is widely present in yeasts (such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae), moulds (such as Aspergillus oryzae) and bacteria (such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Bacillus subtilis), where it serves as a protective agent against adverse conditions such as drought and high temperatures. Plant sources are primarily found in drought- and cold-tolerant plants such as seaweed (e.g. kelp and nori), selaginella, cacti and legumes (e.g. soybeans and peas), which typically contain 0.1-1.0% trehalose. Under extreme conditions (such as drought), these concentrations may rise to 5-10%. Animal sources are found in trace amounts in insect blood (e.g. bees and locusts), crustacean exoskeletons and the bodily fluids of lower vertebrates, where they maintain osmotic pressure and provide stress resistance. Currently, synthetic production constitutes the primary method of supplying trehalose, utilising inexpensive carbohydrates as feedstock through enzymatic conversion processes.

Particularities of SWEETEST®Crystalline trehalose:

Product Specifications:

SWEETEST®Crystalline trehalose is available in the following specification and contents:

○

○

☑ SWEETEST®Crystalline trehalose crystalline powder 99%/98%

Product quality standards:

● GB/T 20882.7, Food grade, In-house

▶ Maintaining blood glucose homeostasis

▶ Stress resistance protection

SWEETEST®Crystalline trehalose Applications:

In the food industry, SWEETEST®Crystalline trehalose is widely used as an additive to improve quality and functionality. In baking and confectionery, for example, it delays staling and improves texture. Adding 1-3% trehalose to flour can prevent amylose recrystallisation, thereby extending bread shelf life by 2-3 days and increasing cake moisture content by 10-15%. In dairy-based fillings, adding 0.5-1% trehalose prevents whey protein denaturation, thereby preserving the softness of the filling.

For example, the stability of a certain brand's cheese tart filling improved by 30%. Blending it with amino acids (e.g. a 5:1 ratio of trehalose to lysine) inhibits excessive browning, yielding uniform colouration in baked goods while preserving flavour. Adding 1-3% to tea beverages or plant-based milks gives them a glycaemic index (GI) value of just 9, which is significantly lower than that of sucrose (GI=65). This makes trehalose suitable for consumers who are conscious of their sugar intake. Adding 0.3-0.5% to yoghurt increases probiotic survival rates by 40% and extends refrigerated shelf life by one month. Adding 0.2% to apple juice inhibits polyphenol oxidase activity, reducing browning and improving colour retention by 25%. In meat and seafood processing, it enhances preservation efficacy and improves texture.

In health products and dietary supplements, SWEETEST®Crystalline trehalose acts as a functional agent in precision health management. When combined with bifidobacteria at a ratio of 10:1, for example, it increases the survival rate of live bacteria to over 85% in simulated gastric acid environments, outperforming conventional protective agents significantly. A daily intake of 15 g promotes butyrate production and increases the expression of intestinal tight junction protein ZO-1 by 30%, thereby improving intestinal permeability. In patients with type 2 diabetes, a daily intake of 3.3 g over 12 weeks reduces the inflammatory marker CRP by 22%, although individual variations should be noted. In weight management products, replacing 20% of added sugars with trehalose reduces snack calorie content by 10-15%, while also enhancing satiety to help control appetite. Consuming 5 g of trehalose within 30 minutes after exercise alongside 20 g of protein accelerates hepatic glycogen replenishment and reduces post-exercise fatigue recovery time by two hours. Incorporating 1-3% trehalose into enteral nutrition formulations provides sustained energy release without causing gastrointestinal irritation, making these formulations suitable for patients with compromised digestive function.

SWEETEST®Crystalline trehalose is added to aquaculture products to boost disease resistance, encourage growth and improve quality. In livestock and poultry feed, it protects the intestinal tract and reduces losses. When added to pet food, it balances palatability with health benefits. Furthermore, trehalose functions as an excipient in controlled-release tablets, increasing the dissolution rate of poorly soluble drugs such as paclitaxel by 40%, and its low hygroscopicity prevents tablet deliquescence.

The glycaemic index (GI=9) of SWEETEST®Crystalline trehalose is significantly lower than that of sucrose (GI=65), glucose (GI=100), and even crystalline fructose (GI=23). Human trials indicate that the postprandial blood glucose peak two hours after consumption is merely one-fifth that of the sucrose group, with the area under the blood glucose curve (AUC) reduced by over 70%, effectively preventing abrupt fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Trehalose's slow metabolism reduces pancreatic burden. Trehalose requires gradual hydrolysis by the specific enzyme “trehalase” in the intestine to be converted into glucose before absorption. This hydrolysis occurs at a rate only one-third that of sucrose.

SWEETEST®Crystalline trehalose forms hydrogen-bond networks with biomacromolecules, such as proteins and nucleic acids. This maintains their structural integrity under adverse conditions, including drought, high temperatures and freezing. In the human body, trehalose protects intestinal and skin epithelial cells from external stimuli such as ultraviolet radiation and oxidative stress, thereby reducing cellular damage and enhancing tissue repair capacity. Its potent stabilising properties inhibit the Maillard reaction, preventing harmful compounds from forming through protein-sugar cross-linking, and also inhibit oxidative processes. In food processing, trehalose protects active components, including vitamins (such as vitamins C and B), probiotics and functional peptides.

▶ Optimising gut health

SWEETEST®Crystalline trehalose selectively promotes the proliferation of beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli while inhibiting harmful bacteria like Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfringens. Compared to sugar alcohol sweeteners (such as sorbitol and xylitol), trehalose undergoes slow and complete hydrolysis, making it less prone to accumulation and fermentation within the gut. In healthy adults, daily intake below 50 grams results in discomfort such as bloating or diarrhoea occurring in less than 3% of cases-significantly lower than sugar alcohol substitutes (incidence rate approximately 15%-20%)-making it suitable for individuals sensitive to sugar substitutes. Short-chain fatty acids (particularly butyrate) produced during trehalose fermentation can upregulate the expression of intestinal tight junction proteins (ZO-1, Occludin) and increase the thickness of the intestinal mucus layer.

■ Physical and chemical properties

SWEETEST®Crystalline trehalose is a white, odourless, crystalline powder with a mildly sweet taste. It predominantly belongs to the orthorhombic system in its crystalline form (hydrated crystals) and to the hexagonal system in its anhydrous form. It is easily soluble in water and slightly soluble in ethanol, but insoluble in organic solvents such as diethyl ether and acetone. It has a mild sweetness equivalent to 0.4-0.6 times that of sucrose and a refreshing taste with no lingering aftertaste. It can offset the bitterness of other sweeteners to enhance flavour harmony. It exhibits exceptional thermal stability, remaining stable within a pH range of 2-10, and it resists hydrolysis by acids or alkalis (unlike common disaccharides, such as sucrose, which readily hydrolyse under acidic conditions). It is insensitive to oxidation and reduction reactions, and it does not readily undergo Maillard reactions (which prevent food browning). Its hygroscopicity is extremely low, being significantly less than that of sucrose or glucose. This means that it does not require special moisture-proof storage and resists caking.

■ Production technology characteristics

Currently, over 95% of global output is produced using microbial fermentation (the enzymatic method), which is the primary method employed in industrial production. Extraction and chemical synthesis methods have largely been phased out due to their high cost and low purity. In microbial fermentation, microbially derived trehalosidase catalyses the formation of trehalose from glucose or starch hydrolysate by linking glucose molecules via α,α-1,1 glycosidic bonds. When maize starch is used as the feedstock, heat-resistant α-amylase is added to liquefy the mixture for 30 minutes, yielding dextrin with a DE value of 10-15. The mixture is then cooled to 60°C and saccharifying enzymes are added for 48 hours of hydrolysis to produce a high-purity glucose solution with a DE value of ≥95. The second step involves enzyme preparation. High-yield trehalose synthase strains (e.g. Bacillus subtilis and Aspergillus oryzae) are screened and scaled up in fermenters to achieve high-level enzyme expression. Centrifugation is then used to remove microbial cells from the fermentation broth, followed by ultrafiltration to concentrate the enzyme solution. The solution is then freeze-dried to yield a high-activity trehalose synthase preparation. The third step involves the catalytic synthesis reaction. Residual glucose levels are monitored during the reaction to ensure complete conversion, yielding a mixture containing trehalose and trace amounts of glucose. Activated carbon filtration is then used to remove impurities such as pigments and proteins. Purified trehalose crude solution is obtained via cation exchange resin to remove metal ions and anion exchange resin to remove organic acids and pigments. Nanofiltration membrane concentration technology increases the concentration of sugar solutions while removing trace impurities in the form of small molecules, reducing energy consumption by 40% compared to traditional evaporation concentration methods. Following vacuum evaporation concentration, a syrup with a concentration of 70-75% is obtained, which requires maintenance at 60-70°C to prevent enzymatic hydrolysis or decomposition. Adding 0.1-0.2% trehalose seed crystals (dihydrate crystals) to the crystallisation tank allows uniform dihydrate crystals to form. The crystals are then separated from the mother liquor via centrifugation. An air-flow drying process with strict moisture content control is then employed, yielding crystalline trehalose with a purity of at least 99.5%. To produce anhydrous trehalose, the dihydrate crystals must be dried at 120-130°C to remove the crystallisation water and the moisture content must be controlled to be below 0.5%.

☑ SWEETEST®D-Trehalose anhydrous powder 99%

▶ Safeguarding oral health

In the mouth, bacteria that cause tooth decay, such as Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus, cannot break down trehalose to produce acidic substances. In contrast, sucrose generates lactic acid, which erodes tooth enamel. Research indicates that replacing sucrose in beverages and confectionery with trehalose could reduce the incidence of childhood caries by 50%-60% and reduce enamel demineralisation by 40%. SWEETEST®Crystalline trehalose interferes with the adhesion process between these bacteria and tooth surfaces, thereby slowing the accumulation of dental plaque.