Objective: Hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and the onset and progression of diabetic complications are strongly linked. Reduction of oxidative stress could be of utmost importance in the long-term treatment of diabetic patients. The chronic nature of the disease calls for a mode of antioxidant intake that can be sustained easily, e.g., by the diet. Erythritol, a simple polyol, could be such a compound. It is orally available, well tolerated, and its chemical structure resembles that of mannitol, a well-known hydroxyl radical (HO•) scavenger. Methods: We studied the antioxidant properties of erythritol in vitro and subsequently determined its antioxidant activity and its vasoprotective effect in the streptozotocin diabetic rat. Results: Erythritol was shown to be an excellent HO• radical scavenger and an inhibitor of 2,2′-azobis-2-amidinopropane dihydrochloride-induced hemolysis but inert toward superoxide radicals. High-performance liquid chromatographic and electron spin resonance spectroscopy studies showed that the reaction of erythritol with hydroxyl radicals resulted in the formation of erythrose and erythrulose by abstraction of a carbon-bound hydrogen atom. In the streptozotocin diabetic rat, erythritol displayed an endothelium-protective effect and, in accordance with the in vitro experiments, erythrose was found in the urine of erythritol-consuming rats. Conclusion: Erythritol acts as an antioxidant in vivo and may help protect against hyperglycemia-induced vascular damage. © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
CITATION STYLE
den Hartog, G. J. M., Boots, A. W., Adam-Perrot, A., Brouns, F., Verkooijen, I. W. C. M., Weseler, A. R., … Bast, A. (2010). Erythritol is a sweet antioxidant. Nutrition, 26(4), 449–458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2009.05.004
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