Using Biotransformation and Enzyme Technology to Develop Low-Calorie Sugars and Functional Jujube Foods

A new route to D-allulose from jujube

If you formulate reduced-sugar foods, you know the problem. Remove sugar and you need to rebuild sweetness, texture, and tolerance. This paper offers a different angle: make the sweetener inside the fruit base itself. The team used concentrated jujube juice and two enzymes to convert glucose and fructose into D-allulose. At 110 g/L, the conversion is not trivial.

Why jujube juice and D-allulose fit together

Jujube fruit is naturally rich in glucose and fructose. Those sugars are exactly what D-allulose production needs. The study applied two enzymes: D-glucose isomerase and D-allulose 3-epimerase. Together, they shift the sugar profile toward D-allulose. Running this biotransformation in jujube juice turns a high-sugar raw material into a lower-calorie functional ingredient.

What the study did

The researchers set up a biotransformation in concentrated jujube juice. They optimized the reaction conditions and measured sugar changes after enzyme treatment. The paper also reports the effect of oral D-allulose on GLP-1 release and vagal afferent signaling. That work points to reduced food intake and improved glucose tolerance.

Key findings

The data show meaningful conversion in a real food matrix.

Sugar	Change after biotransformation
D-allulose	produced at 110 g/L
Glucose	decreased 13.4%
Fructose	decreased 18.1%

Glucose and fructose did not disappear completely. They dropped by 13.4% and 18.1%, respectively. That leaves a mixed-sugar profile. For formulators, that can work. You get residual sweetness from remaining sugars plus the low-calorie contribution of D-allulose.

The physiological data point in the same direction. Oral D-allulose induced GLP-1 release and activated vagal afferent signals. That led to reduced food intake and improved glucose tolerance in the tested model. Those are useful effects to consider for a functional positioning.

What it means for manufacturers

You can look at this two ways. As an ingredient buyer, you see a new route to allulose from jujube, a crop already used in food products. As a formulator, you see a way to process a fruit base into a sweetener system in place. The jujube identity stays in the product. The enzyme step just changes the sugar composition.

Do not assume the exact numbers carry over to your process. The study used optimal conditions in concentrated juice. Your pH, temperature, juice solids, and enzyme loading will affect conversion. Pilot trials are the next step. The GLP-1 finding is interesting, but you need to test whether it survives in your finished product and in humans.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use regular jujube juice, or does it need to be concentrated?

The study used concentrated jujube juice. Sugar concentration matters for enzyme kinetics. You may need to concentrate first or adjust your process to match the starting solids.

What is the yield of D-allulose from jujube juice?

At the reported optimum, D-allulose reached 110 g/L. Glucose fell by 13.4% and fructose by 18.1%. Your yield depends on the starting sugar content and enzyme system.

Does the D-allulose stay in the juice after conversion?

Yes. The study measured D-allulose in the juice matrix, so the converted sweetener remains part of the liquid. That makes it possible to formulate a fruit-based syrup with an altered sugar profile.

This paper gives food developers a concrete reason to test jujube as a biotransformation feedstock. It also gives buyers another supply option for D-allulose. The work is early stage, but the numbers are clear: 110 g/L of D-allulose from a fruit base changes the conversation. Run your own tests, check the sensory profile, and see whether this fits your low-calorie product roadmap.