Erythritol is a sweet antioxidant

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 center dot) 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'-azo-bis-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 (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved.