Commercial Artificial Sweeteners Might Affect Pregnant and Nursing Mice Mammary Gland. A Histological Study

The use of artificial sweeteners as non-nutritive food additive is becoming very common nowadays. The aim of this research was to study the effect of commercial artificial sweeteners consumption on the adult mouse mammary gland in pregnancy (18-day pregnancy) and 3 weeks nursing. A commercial artificial sweetener solution was given to pregnant mice of treated groups 50 mg/kg body weight, from day one of pregnancy till the end of 3 weeks nursing. Controls were given distilled water. The histological studies of the mammary gland of treated animals showed some changes. In treated 18-day pregnant mothers;the amount of adipose cells seemed to increase and the amount of lipid droplets within the alveoli seemed to increase compared to the controls. Also alveoli in the treated mammary gland sections appeared to be larger and less in number compared to the controls. In 3 weeks treated nursing mothers the amount of milk and lipid droplets in the alveoli decreased compared to the controls. The mammary gland circumference of treated 18-day pregnant mothers was significantly smaller compared to the controls, while it was significantly larger in 3 weeks treated nursing mothers compared to the controls. These results show that artificial sweeteners disturbed the arrangement of the histological structure in the mammary gland of pregnant and nursing mice. Awareness should be raised to restrict the use of artificial sweeteners to people with diabetes or who are in medical need.

May artificial sweeteners not sugar be the culprit of dramatic increase of inflammatory bowel disease in China？

As we know, inflammatory bowel disease （IBD） is ,typically used as a general term for ulcerative colitis （UC） and Crohn＇s disease （CD）, two highly related debilitating diseases of the digestive tract with similar clinical, pathological, and epidemiological features. Both UC and CD are most prevalent in young adults and still incurable. The patients usually depend on constant heavy medication and frequently need multiple devastating surgeries such as bowel resection, proctocolectomy, ileostomy, and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis.

Metabolic Effect of Dietary Erythritol Intake on Escherichia coli

Artificial sweeteners are man-made substitutes for diet that needs low sugars or caloric intake. Recent studies have shown that AS consumption is possibly associated with metabolic disturbances and intestinal flora disturbances. Erythritol is a kind of 4-carbon sugar substitute in the form of sugar alcohol, which may contribute to the prevention of gingivitis by inhibit the biofilm formation of oral bacteria. Despite these studies, the data on how erythritol affects commensal flora causing pathogenicity to remain limited. In this study, microbiota (Escherichia coli) models were used to investigate the effects of different concentration of erythritol on the metabolism of bacteria, especially on Escherichia coli’s growth, transformation efficiency and hemolytic activity. The results showed that sweeteners decreased the bacteria’s ability to normally grow in higher concentration, and form biofilms to varying degrees. And the addition of erythritol in low concentration may have an effect of promote the growth of Escherichia coli. Habitual consumption of artificial sweeteners in the diet continues to increase was associated with the maintenance of micro-ecological equilibrium in gut.

PHOTONIC CRYSTAL WAVEGUIDE BIOSENSOR

The hollow core photonic crystal waveguide biosensor is designed and described.The biosensor was tested in experiments for artificial sweetener identifcation in drinks.The photonic crystal waveguide biosensor has a high sensitivity to the optical properties of liquids flling up the hollow core.The compactness,good integration ability to different optical systems and compatibility for use in industrial settings make such biosensor very promnising for v arious biomedical applicat ions.