Studies on Isomaltitol

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Abstract
The absence of a significant rise in blood glucose, a delayed increase of the respiratory quotient and a low rate of enzymatic hydrolysis all demonstrate slow metabolism of isomaltitol by humans. Metabolic utilization of isomaltitol starts with its enzymatic cleavage in the upper intestine. The carbohydrase which is responsible for the hydrolytic attack was not identified but an analogy with the specificity of yeast carbohydrases and inhibition data with intestinal carbohydrases suggests .alpha.-glucosidase (maltase) as the responsible enzyme. The slow enzymatic cleavage in the intestine is probably the rate-limiting step of the utilization of isomaltitol as evidenced by the delayed increase of the respiratory quotient. The stability of isomaltitol against acid hydrolysis excludes its possible cleavage during the passage through the stomach. An undetermined part of the ingested isomaltitol seems to undergo microbial fermentation in the lower gut as shown by an increased formation of gases. In the absence of detailed data on the microbial utilization, gas formation may indicate more extensive degradation than mere cleavage of the glycosidic bond. No significant change of blood glucose after ingestion of isomaltitol was seen. Although no simultaneous measurements of plasma insulin levels were made, the lack of the pertinent signal should exclude the possibility of an insulin secretion after an uptake of isomaltitol. Wherever in human physiology and pathology a release of insulin from the pancreatic islets will be undesired, isomaltitol offers a fair opportunity towards this goal.

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