3M-Brazzein as a Natural Sugar Substitute Attenuates Obesity, Metabolic Disorder, and Inflammation

Hansaem Kim, Jaeyong Kang, Seungwoo Hong, Seonyeong Jo, Hyangsoon Noh, Byung Ha Kang, Suhyun Park, Young Jin Seo, Kwang Hoon Kong, Sungguan Hong

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

Obesity is a global chronic disease linked to various diseases. Increased consumption of added sugars, especially in beverages, is a key contributor to the obesity epidemic. It is essential to reduce or replace sugar intake with low-calorie sweeteners. Here, a natural sweet protein, 3M-brazzein, was investigated as a possible sugar substitute. Mice were exposed to 3M-brazzein or 10% sucrose of equivalent sweetness, in drinking water to mimic human obesity development over 15 weeks. Consumption of 3M-brazzein in liquid form did not cause adiposity hypertrophy, resulting in 33.1 ± 0.4 g body weight and 0.90 ± 0.2 mm fat accumulation, which were 35.9 ± 0.7 g (p = 0.0094) and 1.53 ± 0.067 mm (p = 0.0031), respectively, for sucrose supplement. Additionally, 3M-brazzein did not disrupt glucose homeostasis or affect insulin resistance and inflammation. Due to its naturally low-calorie content, 3M-brazzein could also be a potential sugar substitute that reduces adiposity.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2183-2192
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Volume68
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - 19 Feb 2020

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2020 American Chemical Society.

Keywords

  • brazzein
  • low-calorie sweetener
  • metabolic disorder
  • obesity
  • sugar substitute

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