TREHALOSE CAS NO.99-20-7

Introduction

Trehalose, also known as α,α-trehalose, α-D-glucopyranosyl-α-D-glucopyranoside, or Mycose, is a non-reducing disaccharide formed by the dehydration condensation between the hemiacetal hydroxyl groups on the anomeric carbon atom (C1) of two D-glucopyranose molecules. It is mainly classified into three types: α,α-trehalose, α,β-trehalose, and β,β-trehalose. It is found in molds, algae, dried yeast, ergot, etc., and can also be synthesized artificially. Trehalose possesses the unique function of preserving biological vitality, effectively protecting cell membranes and protein structures. It keeps cells moist under abnormal conditions, such as high-temperature dehydration (drying, high osmotic pressure) and freezing, preventing nutrient loss and cell damage due to water loss. Furthermore, trehalose also exhibits the property of stabilizing biological membranes and protein structures in vitro. Internationally, it is used to protect genetically engineered enzymes, various viruses, vaccines, antibodies, protein factors, and nucleic acids. Simultaneously, as a stabilizer and protectant for bioactive substances, it has broad application prospects in food, health products, cosmetics, medicine, molecular biology, and agriculture.

Applications
1. Applications in the food industry: a. Preventing starch retrogradation: Foods containing starch, when left at room temperature or low temperatures, will harden due to starch retrogradation, becoming loose and cloudy, leading to a decline in quality. This retrogradation is particularly pronounced in frozen foods. Previously, methods such as adding sugars, enzymes, and emulsifiers were used to inhibit starch retrogradation, but these methods are not perfect. Overall, adding sugars is the most effective method. A 12% starch solution was mixed with an equal amount of 2% sugar, gelatinized, and stored at 4°C. The turbidity ratio before and after 12 hours of storage was used as the starch retrogradation rate. Comparing the anti-starch retrogradation effects of sucrose, maltose, and trehalose, it was found that the effect of adding trehalose far exceeded that of other sugars. Therefore, trehalose can inhibit starch retrogradation and improve quality. For foods distributed via freezing, trehalose can be widely used in the future.

b. Preventing protein denaturation: Egg white was taken as protein, and 5% sugar was added to it. It was frozen at -20°C for 5 days. The turbidity ratio before and after thawing was used as the protein denaturation rate. Comparing the anti-protein denaturation effects of sucrose, maltose, and trehalose, it was also found that trehalose had the best anti-denaturation effect. Additionally, after prolonged heating, casein in beef tendon undergoes denaturation and coagulation, resulting in precipitation. For example, when milk coffee is stored at 55°C for four weeks, the casein in milk coffee made with refined granulated sugar clearly shows coagulation. However, if one-quarter of the refined granulated sugar is replaced with trehalose, the casein becomes very stable, with almost no protein coagulation. This demonstrates that trehalose has the effect of preventing protein denaturation or stabilizing it. In the future, trehalose can be widely used in protein-containing foods, various enzyme preparations, and pharmaceuticals.

c. Flavor and Odor Correction The third function of trehalose is its unique flavor and odor correction effect. Adding about 2% trehalose to low-sodium soy sauce immediately enhances its flavor, making it comparable to strong-flavored soy sauce. However, trehaloses role in this aspect is mostly to mask unpleasant odors and tastes, or to reduce them. For example, the bitterness of grapefruit and aloe vera, the raw fishy smell of soy milk and eggs, the odor of heating, the odor of stale rice, etc. In these foods, adding only a small amount of trehalose can greatly improve their bitterness or unpleasant odors. Many foods have their quality affected by subtle tastes or odors. Therefore, trehalose will have significant potential applications in this area in the future.

d. Maintaining the Freshness of Food Texture: When storing vegetables, fruits, and grains, browning and softening can occur due to enzymatic or non-enzymatic factors, thus reducing freshness. Preheating or chemical treatments are often used to address this. For example, to prevent browning in apples, they are often soaked in brine, but this sometimes results in a salty taste or softening that affects the texture, making it difficult to achieve satisfactory results. In such cases, soaking apples in a 5% trehalose solution not only prevents browning but also improves the texture. Trehalose is also effective for preserving not only fresh fruits and vegetables like apples, cucumbers, and radishes, but also salted products such as cabbage and cucumbers. In addition, trehalose also has the function of preserving and extending the shelf life of harvested roses and other similar products.

2. Applications in Molecular Biology: Trehaloses protective effect on dried biological products makes it highly promising in the field of biochemical products. If more products can be developed for preservation and use at room temperature, the cost of biochemical products can be significantly reduced. Currently, trehalose technology has been applied to the most unstable restriction endonucleases, allowing them to be preserved at room temperature for a considerable period without inactivation. This technology may also lead to the development of new biochemical tools such as automated dry tank or dry PRC reaction kits.

3. Agricultural Application Prospects: With in-depth research and the development of genetic engineering technology, the creation of transgenic plants containing trehalose will not only improve the drought resistance of crops but also make crops appear fresher and have a richer flavor after harvesting and processing, such as sweet fruits, vegetables, and other products. Furthermore, crops with high trehalose content are closely related to their better frost resistance. Therefore, the creation and development of drought-resistant plants may make significant contributions to resisting drought and frost disasters, and to transforming deserts and greening barren lands.

4. In the pharmaceutical industry, trehalose is primarily used as a stabilizer for diagnostic reagents. For example, it is used in the storage of transplanted organs, and in the modification and stabilization of lymphokines, biological agents, antibiotics, vitamins, enzymes, and various substances that easily lose their activity. It is also used in toothpaste, oral medications, and sugar-coated tablets as a sweetener, flavor enhancer, quality improver, and stabilizer. Trehalose is also used to dry live vaccines, making them easy to preserve and a very good medical desiccant; it is extremely convenient and effective after rehydration. Furthermore, trehalose can not only be used for vaccine preservation but also to stabilize hormones, blood, and their components. Its practicality also lies in its important role in the preservation of high-tech biotechnology products, such as DNA restriction endonucleases used in genetic engineering, which are unstable and easily inactivated under normal conditions.

5. In cosmetics: Currently, trehalose derivatives are mainly used in cosmetics. In Japan, trehalose has been recognized by the Ministry of Health as a new standard cosmetic ingredient due to its moisturizing properties. For example, it can be used in skin cosmetics such as facial cleansers to inhibit dry skin; it can also be used as a sweetener, flavor improver, and quality improver in various components of lipsticks, oral coolers, and mouth fragrances. In addition, anhydrous trehalose can be used in skin creams as a dehydrating agent for phospholipids and enzymes.