(P04-036-25) Effect of Sucralose, Erythritol and Stevia on Glucose Release From Rice in a Static In-Vitro Digestion Model

Objectives: Sugar substitutes are of interest because they are sweet tasting and are low-calorie. However, little is known on the effect of these sweeteners on postprandial glycemic response. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of co-digesting several selected sugar substitutes with rice on in-vitro glucose release.

Methods: To evaluate in-vitro glucose release from rice, a static triphasic in-vitro digestion model, simulating the oral, gastric and small intestine phases of human digestion was used. Three test treatments, co-digested with 50 g of white rice, included sucralose (40 g), erythritol (40 g) and stevia (Rebaudioside A) (40 g) and compared to a carbohydrate control (rice alone). In-vitro glucose release was assessed at 30-min into the gastric phase (baseline), and every 15-min over 120-min during the intestinal phase. Each in-vitro trial was performed in duplicate.

Results: In-vitro glucose release during the intestinal phase was affected by treatment (p < 0.0001) and time (p < 0.0001), but there was no significant treatment by time interaction (p=0.16). In-vitro glucose release was lower after sucralose, erythritol and stevia compared to rice alone. Erythritol and stevia resulted in a lower in-vitro glucose release compared to sucralose. The incremental area under the curve (iAUC) for in-vitro glucose release from rice was affected by treatment (p=0.01). The iAUC was lower after erythritol and stevia compared to rice alone, but did not differ from sucralose.

Conclusions: Erythritol and stevia resulted in a greater reduction of in-vitro glucose release from white rice compared to sucralose. Given the nature of the in-vitro digestion model, the attenuation of in-vitro glucose release from starch is likely due to the interaction of the various sugar substitutes and their impact on the suppression of digestive enzymes or interactions with the starch granules.

Funding Sources: Nutrition & Exercise Testing Lab and Canadian Foundation for Innovation