Starch-based sweeteners - an alternative to sugar

Moon, Chan Pheng (1995) Starch-based sweeteners - an alternative to sugar. [Proceedings Paper]

The history of starch-based sweeteners started in the 18th century. The Napolean' s continental blockade had caused a shortage of cane sugar in the whole Europe. This forced the European to find alternatives for sweetener. A German chemist, Kirchoff started the history by discovering the formation of "sugar" after boiling wheat starch with acid and neutralizing it. The story continued with the isolation of active component "diatase" in 1833 by Frenchman, Payen. Diatase was later found as a mixture of two enzymes –α-amylase and β-amylase. In 1894, Takamine proceeded the first enzyme preparation for starch hydrolysis with Aspergillus oryzae fungus culture. In 1950s high maltose syrups production came to reality with enzymatic production. Amyloglucosidase was developed in 1960s. in the same decade, enzyme pretreatment liquefaction of starch by using bacterial α-amylase was developed. In 1973, a high temperature stable bacterial amylase from Bacillus lichenformis was introduced. The history of high fructose corn syrup only started in 1970s when the first enzyme for conversion of glucose to fructose was developed by the Japanese. Enzymatic isomerisation was introduced and started in the late 1973 in the USA and Europe. The immobilized isomerisation enzymes was first introduced in October 1974. The actual technologies involve in the production of starch-based sweeteners are the processess of breaking down the polymers in starches in to monomers or short chained polymers. There are four major processes involve in the production of starch-based sweeteners depending on the type of products. The processes are liquefaction, dextrinisation, saccharification, and isomerisation. Liquefaction process can be carry out in acidic or enzymatic reaction. There are five groups of enzymes being used in the syrups production. The enzymes groupds are endo-amylases, debranching enzymes, isomerases and specific roled-cereal exo-amylase (α-amylase ). Endo-amylases cleave the α-1,4 glucosidic bonds in the starch polymers. Exo-α-amylases act at the same substrates as endo-amylase but in a different way, with a additional ability to cleave the α-1,6 linkages in isosugar. Debranching enzyme acts only on α-1,6 linkages of amylopectin. Function of isomerisation enzymes is to convert glucose to fructose. Products of the hydrolysed starches can be distinguished by measuring the dextrose equivalent or DE of the products. Maltodextrins are glucose polymers with an average chain length of 5-10 glucose units and have a DE of 3-20. High maltose syrups have a DE of 40-50. Syrups with DE of 63-67 are named as high conversion syrups. Dextrose or glucose syrups are syrups with DE 95-97. The term DE has no connection with high fructose corn syrups. High fructose corn syrups are syrups with a mixture of 42% fructose and 52% glucose.

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Abstract

The history of starch-based sweeteners started in the 18th century. The Napolean' s continental blockade had caused a shortage of cane sugar in the whole Europe. This forced the European to find alternatives for sweetener. A German chemist, Kirchoff started the history by discovering the formation of "sugar" after boiling wheat starch with acid and neutralizing it. The story continued with the isolation of active component "diatase" in 1833 by Frenchman, Payen. Diatase was later found as a mixture of two enzymes –α-amylase and β-amylase. In 1894, Takamine proceeded the first enzyme preparation for starch hydrolysis with Aspergillus oryzae fungus culture. In 1950s high maltose syrups production came to reality with enzymatic production. Amyloglucosidase was developed in 1960s. in the same decade, enzyme pretreatment liquefaction of starch by using bacterial α-amylase was developed. In 1973, a high temperature stable bacterial amylase from Bacillus lichenformis was introduced. The history of high fructose corn syrup only started in 1970s when the first enzyme for conversion of glucose to fructose was developed by the Japanese. Enzymatic isomerisation was introduced and started in the late 1973 in the USA and Europe. The immobilized isomerisation enzymes was first introduced in October 1974. The actual technologies involve in the production of starch-based sweeteners are the processess of breaking down the polymers in starches in to monomers or short chained polymers. There are four major processes involve in the production of starch-based sweeteners depending on the type of products. The processes are liquefaction, dextrinisation, saccharification, and isomerisation. Liquefaction process can be carry out in acidic or enzymatic reaction. There are five groups of enzymes being used in the syrups production. The enzymes groupds are endo-amylases, debranching enzymes, isomerases and specific roled-cereal exo-amylase (α-amylase ). Endo-amylases cleave the α-1,4 glucosidic bonds in the starch polymers. Exo-α-amylases act at the same substrates as endo-amylase but in a different way, with a additional ability to cleave the α-1,6 linkages in isosugar. Debranching enzyme acts only on α-1,6 linkages of amylopectin. Function of isomerisation enzymes is to convert glucose to fructose. Products of the hydrolysed starches can be distinguished by measuring the dextrose equivalent or DE of the products. Maltodextrins are glucose polymers with an average chain length of 5-10 glucose units and have a DE of 3-20. High maltose syrups have a DE of 40-50. Syrups with DE of 63-67 are named as high conversion syrups. Dextrose or glucose syrups are syrups with DE 95-97. The term DE has no connection with high fructose corn syrups. High fructose corn syrups are syrups with a mixture of 42% fructose and 52% glucose.

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Item Type:	Proceedings Paper
Additional Information:	Available at Perpustakaan Sultan Abdul Samad, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. TX511 N277 1995 Call Number
AGROVOC Term:	starch
AGROVOC Term:	polysaccharides
AGROVOC Term:	high fructose corn syrup
AGROVOC Term:	sucrose
AGROVOC Term:	hydrolysis
AGROVOC Term:	isomerases
AGROVOC Term:	beta glucanase
AGROVOC Term:	maltose
Geographical Term:	Malaysia
Depositing User:	Nor Hasnita Abdul Samat
Date Deposited:	18 Nov 2025 07:42
Last Modified:	18 Nov 2025 07:42
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/1503

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