EFKO presented the results of safety studies for brazzein sweet protein done by Russian scientific teams coming from FSBI Federal Scientific and Clinical Center of Physical and Chemical Medicine named after Academician Yu.M. Lopukhin under the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, A.N. Belozersky Research Institute of Physic-Chemical Biology under MSU, A.I. Yevdokimov Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, NPC Farmbiomed, those previously published in Foods and Frontiers in Nutrition.

Sweet protein is a food ingredient that can substitute sugar in well-known recipes and provide a healthy substitute for diabetics and those who are watching their sugar intake. Because of its special qualities, sweet proteins are thousands of times sweeter than sugar, do not cause an insulin response, and taste almost exactly like sugar.

However, the ingredient must be shown safe for human health and free of long-term harmful effects before it enters the market.

Russian researchers investigated the potential health risks associated with taking the sweet proteins brazzein and monelin. To do this, they assessed these proteins' toxicity to mice, rats, and guinea pigs. The results showed no pathologic changes in the lungs, liver, heart, kidney, brain, small intestine, stomach, colon, ovaries, and testes caused by sweet proteins. In addition, the animals showed no signs of intoxication or weight gain. Also, the compounds have no allergenic or mutagenic properties.

Maria Lagarkova,

Director of the Federal Scientific and Clinical Center of Physical and Chemical Medicine named after Academician Yu.M. Lopukhin

"Overeating sugar raises your chance of acquiring non-communicable diseases in addition to being bad for your appearance. My colleagues and I investigated sweet proteins that could be a safe, healthy alternative to sugar. Sweet proteins were originally isolated from wild tropical fruits. One of them, thaumatin, has already been introduced into the food industry in several countries. Two other recombinant proteins are now being studied: monelin and brazzein. As part of the study, we confirmed that these proteins have no toxicity, mutagenicity, or oncogenicity, do not produce allergenic effects, and do not cause a significant change in the microbiota compared to the control group. Meanwhile, the group of animals receiving sucrose showed an increase of Faecalibaculum rodentium, a bacterium associated with obesity."

Earlier the Russian technology of sweet protein production was certified in the UAE. The research findings have led scientists to conclude that brazzein has great potential for use as a safe substitute for sugar in Russia.

"For us, the safety of sweet proteins is of key importance. For this reason, we originally established a study methodology that goes above and beyond certification criteria. We are glad that the results confirmed the high level of safety," says Rostislav Kovalevsky, Innovation Director at EFKO, the company that developed the technology for producing brazzein. – Human clinical trials are already nearing their conclusion, and initial findings support the sweet protein's safety. We anticipate that product certification in Russia won't face any challenges and are looking forward to it.