(P04-020-25) Sweelin®, a Novel Sweet Protein, Does Not Affect Blood Glucose and Insulin Levels- a Double-Blind, Randomized, Crossover Clinical Study

Objectives: Sweelin^®, a novel hyper-sweet protein, enables up to 70% sugar reduction in numerous food applications without compromising taste, as assessed by professional sensory panels. The protein was designed using Agile-Integrative Computational Protein Design (AI-CPD) to improve the stability and sensory profile of the monellin protein found in West African fruits. It is produced via precision fermentation resulting in a highly purified protein and is intended to be marketed as a sweetener. We present here the results of a first-ever double-blind, randomized, crossover study to evaluate the effect of sweelin^® on blood glucose and insulin levels compared to stevia and dextrose in healthy adults.

Methods: After an overnight fast, subjects were asked to consume sweelin^® (0.051 g) or stevia Reb M (0.225 g) or dextrose (75 g) in a beverage. Blood samples for glucose and insulin were collected at baseline and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120-minutes post consumption. Each participant consumed all three beverages in a randomized order.

Results: Nineteen healthy subjects (11 Males, 8 Females, age 30±11; BMI 24±3 kg/m², fasting glucose level 80±6 mg/dL) completed all three visits. At every time point except baseline, glucose and insulin levels were significantly lower following sweelin® consumption compared to dextrose. Incremental areas (IAUC) under the glucose curve after the sweelin^®, stevia or dextrose were 110±137, 155±198 and 3636±1895 mg/l*min, respectively. Similarly, the insulin IAUC after the sweelin^®, stevia and dextrose were 84±103, 100±146 and 6785±3071 mu/ml*min, respectively. The glucose and insulin IAUC of sweelin^® and stevia were significantly lower compared to dextrose (p < 0.0001) and not different from each other. No adverse events were reported.

Conclusions: Sweelin^®, a novel sweet protein, is safe, well tolerated and does not increase blood glucose or insulin levels in healthy individuals. These findings position sweelin^® as an appealing alternative for individuals seeking to reduce sugar intake.

Funding Sources: The study was funded by Amai Proteins LTD.