Nutritional assessment in humans and rats of leucrose [D-glucopyranosyl-alpha(1----5)-D-fructopyranose] as a sugar substitute.

Leucrose [D-glucosyl-alpha(1----5)-D-fructopyranose], prepared by an enzyme-catalyzed transglycosidation from sucrose with greater than 99% purity, has previously been shown to be noncariogenic and was found in the present study to be apparently easily digestible when given to humans as a single oral dose of 100 g, or when fed to rats at a level of 35 g/kg body wt daily. Weanling rats fed a 25% leucrose diet grew as well as rats fed a diet containing 25% sucrose or corn starch. When 1 g of leucrose was given intravenously to adult rats, 70% of this disaccharide was excreted in the urine within 24 h, and feeding and drinking behavior of the rats was not altered.