What is the function of fructose in functional foods?

Due to the lack of digestive enzymes in the digestive system of humans and monogastric animals to digest the α-1,6-glycosidic bond. The structure of fructose is to add two galactose to the glucose end of sucrose, thus fructose can directly enter the back end of the digestive tract, where it is digested and utilized by intestinal bifidobacteria and a few lactobacilli. Therefore, non-digestible oligosaccharides such as fructose are also known as dietary fiber or prebiotics.
Nowadays, there are 153 patents related to fructose in China, among which there are 29 patents on fructose production technology and 2 patents on fructose detection technology, and the current production research is more mature.
Adjusting the balance of intestinal flora
Hayakawa et al. showed that soybean oligosaccharides containing 23% and purified 71% of fructose can be effectively utilized by human intestinal bifidobacteria, significantly increasing the number of bifidobacteria in feces.
Luo Yu et al. prepared cultures with soybean oligosaccharides, fructose, cottonseed sugar and sucrose as substrates and inoculated human feces with Bifidobacterium adolescentum and Escherichia coli, respectively, and found that fructose was the main factor promoting the growth of Bifidobacterium adolescentum.
Shu et al. showed that the addition of 0.8% and 1.0% of fructose to lactic acid bacteria medium (MRS) significantly accelerated the growth of human Bifidobacterium bifidum BB01.
Bifidobacterium bifidum can preferentially utilize non-digestible oligosaccharides in the intestinal tract, and can also preferentially consume fructose under the conditions of the co-existence of a variety of non-digestible oligosaccharides, so fructose can directly target the proliferation of bifidobacterium bifidum.
Improvement of immune function
Due to the structure of α-1,6-galactose in the molecule of fructose, on the basis of the molecular mechanism of sympathetic response of the coordinating base receiver, it participates in the biological process of immunity, adsorption between pathogens and cells, so that fructose has the function of preventing pathogen infections, neutralizing toxins and regulating the immune system.
After 30 days of gavage of mice with fructose (0.2 mL per 10 g body weight), the mice were found to be positive for humoral immunity and monocyte macrophage function. In addition, under the action of Bifidobacterium bifidum, fructose can decompose and produce multiple immune function factors to improve human immunity, which has the function of improving human immunity.
Relieve constipation and prevent diarrhea
Sucrose belongs to small molecule water-soluble dietary fiber, which is preferentially utilized by bifidobacteria after reaching the large intestine, producing a large number of short-chain fatty acids, such as acetic acid, propionic acid and n-butyric acid.
It has been reported that 103 patients with constipation improved their bowel movements and enhanced their intestinal function by taking a daily dose containing 5g of fructose.
At the same time, there are a large number of hydroxyl groups in the molecule of fructose, which can absorb water well in the intestinal tract and have the effect of relieving diarrhea.
In addition, Sucrose also has the functions of protecting liver, inhibiting cancer, inhibiting atopic dermatitis, anti-arthritis, preventing dental caries, preventing colitis, discharging lead, lowering blood pressure and blood lipids, antioxidant and anti-aging.