Sucralose: From Sweet Success to Metabolic Controversies-Unraveling the Global Health Implications of a Pervasive Non-Caloric Artificial Sweetener

Advancements and Challenges in Sucralose Determination: A Comparative Review of Chromatographic, Electrochemical, and Spectrophotometric Methods

This review presents an in-depth analysis of the latest methods used for the determination of sucralose (E955), focusing on research conducted over the past 10 years. As a widely used sugar substitute in the food and pharmaceutical industries, sucralose has raised concerns about its environmental persistence, potential genotoxicity, and health impacts. This study examines several spectrophotometric, chromatographic, and electrochemical techniques, evaluating their sensitivity, selectivity, and limitations in differentiating sucralose from natural carbohydrates and other sweeteners. The review highlights the pressing need for novel detection methods that not only improve accuracy in trace detection but also address growing concerns about its bioaccumulation and conversion into harmful metabolites. Advancing these analytical techniques is essential for enhancing food safety, public health surveillance, and environmental risk assessment. Chromatographic methods are dominant in sucralose determination in foods and environmental objects, as they allow the determination of sucralose at micro- and nanomolar levels. However, spectrophotometric and electrochemical methods are frequently used as complementary to chromatographic methodologies, sensitizing them. On the other hand, purely spectrophotometric methods are less popular, and electrochemical methods remain underdeveloped. Therefore, the advancement of sucralose determination must be due to cheaper chromatographic and classical electrochemical methods.

Comparative effects of different sugar substitutes: Mogroside V, stevioside, sucralose, and erythritol on intestinal health in a type 2 diabetes mellitus mouse

Intestinal health disorders significantly contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Sugar substitutes such as mogroside V (MOG), stevioside (ST), sucralose (TGS), and erythritol (ERT), are increasingly used in T2DM management as alternatives to sucrose (SUC). However, their effects on intestinal health in T2DM have not been fully compared. In the present study, we established a T2DM mouse model using a high-fat diet and streptozotocin injection. These mice were treated with equal doses of SUC, MOG, ST, TGS, or ERT for 4 weeks to evaluate the effects of these sugar substitutes on intestinal health in T2DM. T2DM mice exhibited increased intestinal permeability, reduced goblet cell numbers, elevated pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, and alterations in both gut microbiota and metabolite composition. After 4 weeks of treatment, MOG showed the most significant benefits. MOG activates the PI3K/AKT pathway, enhancing the expression of tight junction proteins, which improves intestinal barrier function and reduces permeability. This is accompanied by NF-κB inhibition, leading to reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine production and increased mucus secretion. These changes help maintain healthy gut microbiota and metabolites, preventing pathogenic bacteria from entering the bloodstream. ST downregulates NF-κB to alleviate intestinal inflammation and improves gut microbiota and metabolic homeostasis in T2DM. ERT has less beneficial effects. TGS and SUC reduce intestinal inflammation and have a better effect on the duodenum. However, TGS has a negative effect on the colon microbiota and metabolites, whereas SUC has a negative effect on the colon microbiota alone. MOG improved intestinal health in T2DM by modulating the PI3K/AKT and NF-κB pathways, whereas ST primarily modulated NF-κB to alleviate intestinal inflammation. Both treatments were effective, with MOG showing the best performance. Therefore, MOG can be considered a viable alternative to SUC for T2DM management.

Non-caloric sweetener effects on brain appetite regulation in individuals across varying body weights

Sucralose, a widely used non-caloric sweetener, provides sweet taste without calories. Some studies suggest that non-caloric sweeteners stimulate appetite, possibly owing to the delivery of a sweet taste without the post-ingestive metabolic signals that normally communicate with the hypothalamus to suppress hunger. In a randomized crossover trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02945475 ), 75 young adults (healthy weight, overweight or with obesity) consumed a drink containing sucralose, sweetness-matched sucrose or water. We show that acute consumption of sucralose versus sucrose stimulates hypothalamic blood flow (P < 0.018) and greater hunger responses (P < 0.001). Sucralose versus water also increases hypothalamic blood flow (P < 0.019) but produces no difference in hunger ratings. Sucrose, but not sucralose, increases peripheral glucose levels, which are associated with reductions in medial hypothalamic blood flow (P < 0.007). Sucralose, compared to sucrose and water, results in increased functional connections between the hypothalamus and brain regions involved in motivation and somatosensory processing. These findings suggest that non-caloric sweeteners could affect key mechanisms in the hypothalamus responsible for appetite regulation.

Effects of Selected Food Additives on the Gut Microbiome and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD)

The purpose of this article is to present selected food additives as disruptors of normal intestinal homeostasis with a potential impact on the development of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). A comprehensive literature search was conducted in three major electronic databases: PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. MASLD is a prevalent liver condition that is closely related to the global rise in obesity. Its pathogenesis is multifactorial, with genetic, environmental, and metabolic factors playing a key role. The "multiple-hit" hypothesis suggests that a Western-style diet, rich in ultra-processed foods, saturated fats, and food additives, combined with low physical activity, contributes to obesity, which promotes lipid accumulation in the liver. Recent studies underscore the role of impaired intestinal homeostasis in the development of MASLD. Food additives, including preservatives, emulsifiers, and sweeteners, affect gut health and liver function. Selected preservatives inhibit pathogenic microorganisms but disrupt the intestinal microbiota, leading to changes in intestinal permeability and liver dysfunction. Some emulsifiers and thickeners can cause inflammation and alter the gut microbiome, contributing to liver steatosis. Furthermore, the use of sweeteners such as sucralose and aspartame has been linked to changes in liver metabolism and intestinal microbial composition, which in turn promotes metabolic disorders.

Unraveling the Evolutionary Diet Mismatch and Its Contribution to the Deterioration of Body Composition

Over the millennia, patterns of food consumption have changed; however, foods were always whole foods. Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have been a very recent development and have become the primary food source for many people. The purpose of this review is to propose the hypothesis that, forsaking the evolutionary dietary environment, and its complex milieu of compounds resulting in an extensive metabolome, contributes to chronic disease in modern humans. This evolutionary metabolome may have contributed to the success of early hominins. This hypothesis is based on the following assumptions: (1) whole foods promote health, (2) essential nutrients cannot explain all the benefits of whole foods, (3) UPFs are much lower in phytonutrients and other compounds compared to whole foods, and (4) evolutionary diets contributed to a more diverse metabolome. Evidence will be presented to support this hypothesis. Nutrition is a matter of systems biology, and investigating the evolutionary metabolome, as compared to the metabolome of modern humans, will help elucidate the hidden connections between diet and health. The effect of the diet on the metabolome may also help shape future dietary guidelines, and help define healthy foods.