Abstract
We have previously observed that the Super Ohtaka®, produced by fermenting extracts from 50 types of fruits and vegetables, contained the disaccharide, α-D-fructofuranosyl-(2→6)-D-glucose (α-Ff2→6G), which was produced during the fermentation process. α-Ff2→6G was also formed from equal amounts of D-glucose and D-fructose under melting conditions at 130°C for 45 min or at 140°C for 30 min. This disaccharide was isolated from the reaction mixture by carbon-Celite column chromatography and preparative- high performance liquid chromatography. It was confirmed to be α-Ff2→6G by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time of flight mass spectrometry analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance measurements. The characteristics of α-Ff2→6G were investigated. The saccharide showed low digestibility and was 0.25 times as sweet as sucrose. Furthermore, unfavorable bacteria such as Enterobacter cloacae 1180, Escherichia coli 1099 and Clostridium perfringens 1211 that produce mutagenic substances did not break down the synthetic oligosaccharide.
