State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Institute of Apiculture Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.
College of Food Science and Engineering, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China.
Food Chem. 2024 Dec 1;460(Pt 1):140471. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.140471. Epub 2024 Jul 15.
Turanose, an isomer of sucrose, naturally exists in honey. Previous study indicated that turanose content increased gradually in acacia honey as honeybees brewed honey in the hive. However, it is unclear how turanose is generated in honey. We hypothesised that turanose was produced by enzymes from honeybees and performed a series of simulation experiments to prove this hypothesis. We found turanose in honey was produced by honeybees processing sucrose. Furthermore, we determined that sugar composition of simulated nectar influenced the turanose concentration in honey: when sucrose concentration was below 5%, turanose was difficult to form, whereas high concentration of fructose and limited glucose were beneficial in producing turanose. Using C-labelled sucrose tests combined with proteomics analysis, we identified that α-glucosidase converted sucrose to turanose through an intermolecular isomerisation process. This study reveals the formation mechanism of turanose in honey and assists in the scientific control and improvement of honey quality.
棉子糖是蔗糖的异构体，天然存在于蜂蜜中。先前的研究表明，随着蜜蜂在蜂巢中酿造蜂蜜，棉子糖的含量逐渐增加。然而，棉子糖在蜂蜜中是如何产生的尚不清楚。我们假设棉子糖是由蜜蜂产生的酶产生的，并进行了一系列模拟实验来验证这一假设。我们发现蜂蜜中的棉子糖是由蜜蜂加工蔗糖产生的。此外，我们确定模拟花蜜的糖组成影响蜂蜜中棉子糖的浓度：当蔗糖浓度低于 5%时，棉子糖难以形成，而果糖浓度高和葡萄糖有限有利于生成棉子糖。使用 13C 标记的蔗糖测试结合蛋白质组学分析，我们确定 α-葡萄糖苷酶通过分子间异构化过程将蔗糖转化为棉子糖。这项研究揭示了蜂蜜中棉子糖的形成机制，有助于对蜂蜜质量进行科学控制和改善。
