Scientists at the University of California, Davis, in partnership with the Mars Advanced Research Institute, have announced a significant breakthrough in the production of low-calorie sugar substitutes, such as allulose. This discovery could help address one of the primary obstacles to the widespread adoption of these alternatives: production costs.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Strategies for the biosynthesis of D-psicose. a The current industrial method for D-psicose production leads to limited yield (~50%) due to a positive ΔG'°. b In the proposed biosynthetic pathway of D-psicose, the dephosphorylation step thermodynamically drives production forwards due to a large negative ΔG'm under cellular reactant concentrations of 1 mM. c The proposed pathway for the biosynthetic production of D-psicose in E. coli. Deleted steps are in blue. Overexpressed steps are in red. PTS, the phosphotransferase system; AlsE, D-allulose 6-phosphate 3-epimerase, HxpB hexitol phosphatase B. Credit: npj Science of Food (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41538-023-00231-0 Allulose, also known as D-psicose, is a naturally occurring rare sugar that provides a viable alternative to sucrose (table sugar). It has a similar taste, texture and functionality, making it an attractive option for those seeking to reduce their sugar intake. By activating a natural process in a microorganism, researchers have developed a method…