Combined Alcohol Soluble Carbohydrate Determination (CASCADE) of Food

Authors: CHEANG, SHAWN - University Of California, Davis; JIANG, JIANI - University Of California, Davis; SUAREZ, CHRISTOPHER - University Of California, Davis; WENG, CHENG-YU - University Of California, Davis; COUTURE, GARRET - University Of California, Davis; BACALZO, NIKITA - University Of California, Davis; PHILLIPS, KATHERINE - Virginia Tech; Fukagawa, Naomi; LEBRILLA, CARLITO - University Of California, Davis

Submitted to: ACS Food Science and Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/26/2024
Publication Date: 2/15/2024
Citation: Cheang, S.E., Jiang, J., Suarez, C., Weng, C., Couture, G., Bacalzo, N.P., Phillips, K.M., Fukagawa, N.K., Lebrilla, C.B. 2024. Combined Alcohol Soluble Carbohydrate Determination (CASCADE) of Food. ACS Food Science and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.3c00641.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.3c00641

Interpretive Summary: Alcohol soluble carbohydrates (ASCs) comprise one of the most abundant classes of dietary carbohydrates. While it is generally accepted that carbohydrates form a healthy part of diet, the types and amounts consumed are a source of disagreement amongst practitioners. In particular, the role of ASCs, commonly referred to as free sugars, and comprising a range of mono-, di-, and oligosaccharides is an active area of debate. Studies have implicated diets high in free glucose, fructose, and other rapidly digested ASCs as being associated with increases in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Despite their ubiquitous presence in food and relevance to health, there is a lack of comprehensive, rapid-throughput analytical tools for the absolute quantitation of ASCs. To address this critical gap, we propose a rapid-throughput, highly expandable platform for native Combined Alcohol Soluble CArbo-hydrate DEtermination (CASCADE) in food. To highlight the robustness of the method across complex matrices, CASCADE analysis was applied to commonly consumed foods including fermented and functionalized foods. The expandability of the platform was demonstrated by the inclusion of sugar alcohols in the analyte panel which are both naturally occurring and added to foods. Overall, we envision CASCADE as a useful tool for the nascent field of precision nutrition, which will necessitate detailed structures of foods.

Technical Abstract: Alcohol soluble carbohydrates (ASCs) comprise one of the most abundant classes of dietary carbohydrates. While it is generally accepted that carbohydrates form a healthy part of diet, the types and amounts consumed are a source of disagreement amongst practitioners. In particular, the role of ASCs, commonly referred to as free sugars, and comprising a range of mono-, di-, and oligosaccharides is an active area of debate. These arguments likely arise from a dearth of their identified chemical structures. Studies have implicated diets high in free glucose, fructose, and other rapidly digested ASCs as being associated with increases in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, but this belies the full scope of monosaccharides, disaccharides, and oligosaccharides found in food. A growing body of evidence has highlighted the role of indigestible oligosaccharides that are part of “low molecular weight soluble fiber”, in promoting human health through gut microbiome-mediated mechanisms. Despite their ubiquitous presence in food and relevance to health, there is a lack of comprehensive, rapid-throughput analytical tools for the absolute quantitation of ASCs. To address this critical gap, we propose a rapid-throughput, highly expandable platform for native Combined Alcohol Soluble CArbohydrate DEtermi-nation (CASCADE) in food. To highlight the robustness of the method across complex matrices, CASCADE analysis was applied to commonly consumed foods including fermented and functionalized foods. The expandability of the platform was demonstrated by the inclusion of sugar alcohols in the analyte panel which are both naturally occurring and added to foods. Overall, we envision CASCADE as a useful tool for the nascent field of precision nutrition, which will necessitate detailed structures of foods.