Oligosaccharide (Oligosaccharide) refers to the general term for saccharides linked by 2 to 10 monosaccharides with glycosidic bonds. Oligosaccharides are generally soluble and widely present in nature. Natural oligosaccharides are synthesized by glyconucleosides and glycosyltransferases; some are converted enzymatically. Oligosaccharides can be classified according to the composition of raw materials, such as xylo-oligosaccharides, fructooligosaccharides and galactooligosaccharides. Currently the largest and most widely used oligosaccharides are mainly derived from starch, commonly referred to as malto-oligosaccharides or malto-oligosaccharides.
What is maltotetraose sugar?
As a type of linear malto-oligosaccharide, linear maltotetraose refers to a chain-like oligosaccharide polymer connected by 4 α-D-glucopyranose units through α-1,4-glycosidic bonds. The novel functional oligosaccharide can be obtained by hydrolyzing starch or dextrin by the corresponding linear malto-oligosaccharide-forming enzyme, and has broad application prospects in various fields. Known as the most promising malto-oligosaccharide.
How is maltotetraose different?
Linear maltotetraose has good processing adaptability and unique physiological effects, and has broad application prospects. The sweetness is about one-fifth of sucrose, and the taste is soft, which helps to improve the quality of various processed foods without increasing the sweetness. When the dosage is high, it will not mask the original flavor and aroma of the product.
Maltotetraose is easily soluble in water, and its viscosity is higher than that of sucrose and maltose syrup. It is an excellent component of thickeners. It is sticky and can prevent crystal precipitation. It is suitable for candy, cakes, beverages and cold drinks.
At the same time, maltotetraose has a good effect of stabilizing foam, has excellent emulsifying properties, can promote product molding and adjust product structure, can inhibit starch aging, and improve the sensory quality of food.
The water retention effect is better than sucrose under low humidity conditions, and the hygroscopicity is lower than that of sucrose or maltose syrup under high humidity conditions. It can stably release or absorb water and can be used as a moisture regulator for baked and puffed foods. It is easy to powder, and has a significant inhibitory effect on the "sand back" phenomenon of chocolate. In addition, it also has the characteristics of slowing down starch retrogradation, improving anti-melting performance, and increasing the expansion rate of ice cream.
Maltotetraose has good acid resistance and heat resistance, and is not easy to brown. It is very well digested and absorbed in the human body, and can be used as food raw materials for children, patients and athletes. In general, maltotetraose is an ideal food base material.
Application in enteral nutrition
In recent years, with the improvement of material and cultural level, people pay more attention to the importance of nutrition. Enteral nutrition is a nutritional product specially designed for people with low digestion and absorption function and low nutritional status. Because the nutrient substance is a nutritional agent mainly based on oral and tube nutrition, for the purpose of supplementing nutrition, it can stimulate appetite and regulate gastrointestinal function, and is safe and easy to operate, and is widely used. However, the sugars in enteral nutrition are mostly monosaccharides or disaccharides such as glucose, sucrose, maltose, etc. However, due to the high osmotic pressure of these sugars when used, it is easy to cause osmotic diarrhea, so they will be added at the same time. dextrin. Studies have found that maltotetraose can be efficiently decomposed and metabolized due to its few branched structures, straight-chain oligosaccharides and low osmotic pressure, so it can be used as an effective source of carbohydrates and energy for nutrients.
In addition to the above-mentioned applications in food, high-purity linear maltotetraose is also a unique biochemical reagent, used to study the hydrolysis mode of various starches, and can also be used in medicine to determine the level of α-amylase in human serum and urine. Therefore, it also has application prospects in the fields of modern analysis and automatic testing.
Physiological effects of maltotetraose
The special physiological effects of straight-chain maltotetraose are also worthy of attention. (1) After ingesting maltotetraose, it reaches the small intestine and is hydrolyzed by α-glucosidase, and synthesizes new glycogen in the blood very quickly, but it does not cause blood sugar. It can be used to develop dietary regimens for patients with special diseases such as kidney disease and pancreatectomy, and functional sports drinks can be developed to improve the physical endurance of athletes. (2) It can significantly inhibit the growth and proliferation of intestinal spoilage bacteria (such as Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium, Enterobacter, etc.), and is used to develop nutritional enhancers for maintaining intestinal health. (3) It is difficult to be fermented and utilized by Streptococcus mutans or yeast in the oral cavity, which can effectively avoid the formation of tartar on the surface of the teeth by polymer glucan (non-water-soluble), and has anti-caries function. (4) As the precursor of oligosaccharide phosphate synthesis, it can promote the absorption of calcium, and can be used as a nutritional supplement to prevent osteoporosis in humans. Provides a signal to promote the maturation and transport of disaccharidase, thus facilitating digestion and absorption, and also promotes the differentiation of intestinal epithelial cells.
Research progress of maltotetraose
Due to the low production efficiency of linear malto-oligosaccharides, the difficulty of separation and purification, and the high price, the functional value and industrial potential of linear maltotetraose have not been fully studied and applied. However, judging from the current relevant research results, whether it is the research on malto-oligosaccharide-forming enzymes or the improvement of the industrial production and preparation process of maltotetraose by various enterprises, it is believed that there will be new products using maltotetraose in the future. come out. At the same time, the successful industrial production of maltotetraose will not only provide a new sugar source for my country's medicine, food, fermentation and other fields, but will also promote the development of nutrition, health care and functional foods.
