Stachyose—The Chinese Strength Contributed to Intestinal Health (3)

By Xi’an App Chem-Bio (Tech) Co., Ltd.

Stachyose product is favored by the market mainly because of the following excellent health efficacy and characteristics:

I. Green source, and safety in use

The stachyose extracted and prepared directly from the vegetable Stachys sieboldii is more natural, compared to functional sugar products such as isomaltooligosaccharide and fructooligosaccharide obtained by enzyme engineering conversion of the raw materials starch and cane sugar.

In view of the raw material for extraction, production process, and good safety of final product of the stachyose, the original Ministry of Health of China issued No. 17 Announcement in November 2010 approving stachyose to be produced and operated as common food, with no restriction on population it applies to and the usage amount.

II. Efficient acting, and small amount for acting

The original Institute of Food Safety Control and Inspection of the Ministry of Health of China conducted an animal experiment on stachyose’s regulation of intestinal flora according to the Technical Standards for Functional Testing and Assessment of Health Food, and the results showed that after 1 week of continuous ingestion of 3g/day stachyose, both the intestinal bifidobacteria and lactobacilli grew by over 10 times, and the harmful enterobacteria and enterococci were effectively inhibited; the following research proved that just 0.5g stachyose was enough to proliferate intestinal probiotics such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. Relevant research proved the stachyose’s efficient acting and small amount for acting.

III. Regulation of intestinal microecology, and diversified functions

Due to a lack of α-D-galactosidase in the digestive tract, after being ingested by human body, stachyose will not be digested and absorbed, but will directly reach the large intestine to be used by intestinal probiotics such as bifidobacteria, and lactobacilli, to make them rapidly proliferate to form a dominant position in the digestive tract, improve intestinal microecology, and thereby produce health benefits, mainly including:

1.   Improving constipation

The intake of stachyose makes the intestinal probiotics rapidly proliferate, to increase peristalsis and avoid feces from accumulating in large intestine and avoid formation of dry and hard feces after water absorption, and thereby prevent constipation.

2.   Controlling diarrhea

Stachyose can significantly control diarrhea, owing to its adhesion on and protection of intestinal epithelial cells, in combination with proliferating beneficial bacteria and inhibiting harmful bacteria.

3.   Enhancing immunity

The mannose produced after the stachyose is catabolized by intestinal flora is an important immunoregulatory factor that can be directly used to synthesize glycoprotein and participate in immunoregulation. In addition, the intestinal beneficial bacteria that proliferate as promoted by stachyose can promote immune system development, maintain normal immune function, and be synergetic and antagonistic against invasion of pathogens.

4.   Protecting liver

The intake of stachyose makes the intestinal probiotics rapidly proliferate, reduces intestinal pH, increases peristalsis, and reduces the burden of amine toxic metabolites such as indole being reabsorbed into blood and decomposed by liver, to thus protect the liver.

5.   Excreting lead

The metabolite of stachyose: L-Lactic acid can bind calcium to increase its solubility, promote calcium absorption, and reduce lead absorption; it can also promote the synthesis of B-group vitamins, and greatly reduce intestinal absorption of lead.

6.   Lipid lowering

Stachyose can promote the proliferation of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, and lower the triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, to function as lipid lowering.

7.   Reducing blood sugar

The intake of stachyose could significantly reduce the blood sugar of the mice with STZ-induced diabetes, reduce fasting blood glucose level, and reduce glucose and epinephrine-induced hyperglycemia, to function as preventing and treating diabetes.

IV. Single structure, and good taste

Compared with other functional oligosaccharides, stachyose has monomer component, with single structure convenient for quality control and easy to use and add. Stachyose is slightly sweet, with sweetness of 22% of that of cane sugar, with a sweet and pure taste.

As the stachyose production technology becomes mature and the applications become popularized, its functions are gradually recognized by the market, and it is widely applied in the health product and food fields. There were 39 kinds of health food with stachyose as functional ingredient, 66 kinds of common food with stachyose as ingredient, and 1,427 invention patents involving stachyose in China by the end of 2016. Stachyose has a sweet and pure taste, and can be added to daily meals as auxiliary material to improve gastrointestinal health; it is applied in products such as solid beverages, snack foods, milk beverages, alcohol, tea beverages, health products, and skin care products, with product functions covering gastrointestinal tract regulation, liver protection, bone health improvement, immune function enhancement, adjuvant therapy of diabetes, inhibition of harmful bacteria, and moisturizing and skin protection, etc. Pai Li Qing Tonic of Infinitus (China) Company Ltd., Tongrentang Brand Prebiotic powder of Beijing Tongrentang Health Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Perilla Leaf & Daidai Flower Powder of New Era Health Industry (Group) Co., Ltd., etc. use stachyose as the core functional ingredient.

Conclusion

As a new kind of prebiotics originating from China, industrialized in China, and mostly applied and developed in China, the stachyose features distinct characteristics such as small amount for acting, strong efficacy, and green and safety, making it potentially a new kind of super prebiotics. Stachyose will make unique and bigger contributions to the health of Chinese people and humanity, with the R&D and industry development of human microbiome and intestinal microecology.

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