Carbohydrate-based replacer

Traditionally used emulsifiers, (2) lipid-based fat replacers, (3) carbohydrate-based replacers, (4) protein-based replacers, and (5) mixed-blend replacers. Of these, emulsifiers and lipid-based ingredients are true fat replacers. 

Carbohydrate-based replacements rely on a viscosity increase and smooth gel-like textures to simulate the properties of fats and oils. These substitutes include gums, hydrophilic hydrocolloids that increase product viscosity and improve emulsion stability polydextrose, a polymer of dextrose with small amounts of sorbitol and citric acid made by Pfizer Chemical Division, New York and a variety of com, tapioca and potato starch maltodextrins made by various starch processors. Neither the protein- nor the carbohydrate-based replacements can be used as frying or dry coating oils. 

TABLE 5. Examples of Carbohydrate-Based Fat Replacers In Food Products. 

The emulsifiers have essentially the same caloric value as fats. Thus, there is no advantage to use them as fat replacers. Lipid-based replacers (also referred to as synthetic fat substitutes) are non-caloric, but the majority of them are not approved for food use at this time (Tab. 5.5). Carbohydrate-based fat replacers include starches and their derivatives (Tab. 5.6) as well as non-starch hydrocolloids (Tab. 5.7). A selection of protein based and mixed-blend replacers is given in Tab. 5.8 and 5.9, respectively. 

Table 5.6 Examples of carbohydrate-based fat replacers derived from starches [52, 55-59]...

Simplesse 100 and 300 exhibited some fat-like interactions with saturated aliphatic aldehydes C6-C10 (hexanal, heptanal, octanal, nonanal, decanal), while carbohydrate-based and mixed-blend replacers showed no interaction (Fig. 5.26 and 5.27). Little or no interaction was noted between any of the fat replacers and the saturated aliphatic methyl ketones (Fig. 5.26 and 5.27). Unsaturated carbonyls showed more interactions with protein-based than with carbohydrate-based and mixed-blend replacers (Fig. 5.26 and 5.27). Of the sulfur components studied, propanethiol substantially interacted with Simplesse 100 and 300 (Fig. 5.26). Of these two protein-based replacers, Simplesse 100 showed some fat-like interaction with limonene (Fig. 5.27) and with the two esters ethyl caproate and ethyl heptanoate (Fig. 5.28). 

It appears that protein-based fat replacers exhibit more fat-like flavour interactions than carbohydrate-based and mixed-blend replacers, with Simplesse 100 being the most fat-like in terms of promoting a balanced flavour. Note that Simplesse 100 contains 2% fat (Tab. 5.8). Its fat-like interaction with lipophilic flavouring substances may be due to this small amount of fat. 

Most carbohydrate-based fat replacers are extracted from by-products rich in cell wall polysaccharides. Polydextrose, which can be applied both as a carbohydrate and as a fat replacer, is obtained by vacuum thermal polymerization of glucose, using citric acid as a catalyst and sorbitol as a plasticizer (Voragen, 1998). 

Proteins for fats In order for a protein to mimic a fat, it has to be cut into tiny particles that measure only from 0.1 to 3.0 pm in size. Simplesse is the only protein-based fat replacer available in the United States. In one version, egg white and milk protein are subjected to high heat and stress to form small, spherical particles. The small size of these protein particles causes them to be perceived by the mouth as smooth and creamy. Like carbohydrates, protein replacers provide only four Calories per gram. However, they are not suitable for frying, and they lack the fat flavor. 

Oseltamivir (9) is a prodrug that is converted to free acid in the body, and the resulting molecule retains the carboxylate bonds found in sialic acid (7).It also makes use of a hydrophobic group that apparently binds better than a glycerol of sialic acid (7) that it replaces. The antibiotics zanamivir (8)and oseltamivir (9) are outstanding examples of new carbohydrate-based therapeutics. 

Carbohydrate-based nanofoams - Aerogels or nanofoams can be made by replacing the liquid solvent in a gel by air with the objective to minimize the substantial alteration of the gel network structure and volume. Nanofoams have unique physical and thermal properties such as low density, high specific surface area, low thermal conductivity, and low dielectric permittivity. The replacement of the liquid in a gel with air can be done with supercritical drying, but also ambient-pressure drying is an option (23,28-32). There are three classes of... 

Even if It could be shown that RNA preceded both DNA and proteins in the march toward living things that doesn t automatically make RNA the first self replicating molecule Another possibility is that a self replicating polynucleotide based on some carbo hydrate other than o ribose was a precursor to RNA Over many generations natural selection could have led to the replacement of the other carbohydrate by D ribose giving RNA Recent research on unnatural polynucleotides by Professor Albert Eschenmoser of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (Zurich) has shown for example that nucleic acids based on L threose possess many of the properties of RNA and DNA... 

Another approach is to replace petrochemical-based polymers with polymers made from carbohydrates (14). Unfortunately, approaches of this type have yet to produce economically competitive polymers. 

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