Arabinose often combines with other monosaccharides and exists in the form of heteropolysaccharides in plant fruit pulp, colloids, hemicellulose, pectinic acid, pine and cypress tree heartwood, bacterial polysaccharides, and certain glycosides.

The main functions of L-arabinose in food and medicine are twofold. Firstly, it can inhibit the enzyme that hydrolyzes disaccharides, thus inhibiting the increase in blood sugar caused by the intake of sucrose (which is broken down into glucose and fructose under the action of small intestine sucrase and absorbed); Abbreviated as the hypoglycemic effect of inhibiting disaccharide hydrolysis. Secondly, due to the inhibitory effect of L-arabinose on disaccharide hydrolases, sucrose that has not been broken down in the small intestine is broken down by microorganisms in the large intestine to produce a large amount of organic acids. This organic acid has an inhibitory effect on liver fat synthesis. In addition, L-arabinose inhibits the absorption of sucrose in the small intestine, thereby reducing the production of new fats in the body. L-arabinose can be used in combination with sucrose or consumed alone. Adding 3.5% sucrose can inhibit the absorption of 60-70% sucrose in the human body, and long-term use can lower blood sugar. Eating L-arabinose alone has the same effect.

Application:

Food and health products: Diabetes food, Weight loss foods, Healthy functional foods, Sucrose additive, Health food

Medicine: As a prescription for weight loss and blood sugar control; Additives for over-the-counter drugs or excipients for traditional Chinese medicine; Ideal intermediate for synthesis of essence and fragrance; As an intermediate in drug synthesis