Discovery of
a Novel Enzymatic Reaction from 1,5-Anhydro-
d
-fructose
to 1,5-Anhydro-
d
-mannitol
in Humans and the Use of the Sugar against Pathoge
Jun-ichi Abe, Kazuhiro Yoshinaga Abstract
In this study, we demonstrated that a functional sugar can be biotransformed into a compound with potential health benefits. 1,5-Anhydro-d-fructose (AF), a multifunctional food ingredient, was converted in humans to the mannose analogue 1,5-anhydro-d-mannitol (AM). Following oral administration of AF, AM was detected in urine 1–8 h postingestion, at concentrations exceeding the dissociation constant for adhesion between uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) and AM. This finding suggests that dietary AF may generate sufficient AM to inhibit UPEC attachment to the urinary tract, thereby reducing the risk of urinary tract infections. In addition, AM decreased UPEC biofilm formation. A new AF reductase responsible for the conversion of AF to AM was purified from porcine liver and identified as trans-1,2-dihydrobenzene-1,2-diol dehydrogenase. Homologous enzymes were identified in humans and other mammalian species through database analysis.