English name: XYLITOL
Chemical Abstracts Registration No.: [87-99-0]
Molecular formula: C5H1205
Molecular weight: 152.15
Properties: it is white crystal or crystalline powder, sweet, with a sweetness equivalent to that of sucrose, soluble in water (1.6g/ml approximately) and slightly soluble in ethanol and methanol, with a melting point of 91℃-96℃, a boiling point of 216℃, and a calorific value of 16.72KJ/g (as the same with glucose). As it absorbs heat when dissolving in water, so when it is eaten in solid form, you will have a happy and cool mouthfeel. 10% xylitol solution has a pH value of 5.0-7.0.

1. Structurally, xylitol has no aldehyde group and ketone group, so it will not produce “Maillard” browning reaction while heating and may be made into bakery food of different flavors.
2. Xylitol is capable of promoting proliferation of bifidobacterium as well as beneficial flora in intestinal tract and improving gastrointestinal function; with high activity, it is a promising functional additive.
3. As xylitol can hardly be fermented by yeast, it is a poor medium for microorganisms.
4. Cool feeling of xylitol can increase flavor of mint, spearmint and other food.
5. As provided in GB2760 that, xylitol is applicable for various foods, and may be added appropriately according to production needs.

Xylitol is capable of inhibiting corrosion. Long-term retention of xylitol in mouth can effectively prevent tooth decay. According to such a characteristic, xylitol is extensively applied in gum confection, chewing gum, candy and chocolate, etc.; in Japan, xylitol is broadly applied in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, and the gum confections which take xylitol as their sweetener are specially designed for dental patients.
Xylitol can hardly be fermented by mutant of oral streptococcus S to harmful dental plaque acid, thus restricting growth of dental plaques and production of acids, stimulating flow of protective salivary juice, changing composition of salivary juice, lowering reduction of pH, and mitigating tooth corrosion by dental plaque acid, while the sucrose promotes salivary juice secretion is not enough to offset effect of acid produced by streptococcus mutant. After eating xylitol, concentration of basic amino acids and amino in salivary juice and decayed tooth plaque, as well as pH value increases, which enables xylitol-5-phosphate to redeposit on enamel to get tooth hard again, thus repairing damaged enamel. Xylitol is capable of inhibiting bacterium proliferation and acid production, reducing acid products of lactic acid bacterium and streptococcus mutant by 90%, lowering aliphatic phosphate on which bacterium in salivary juice and dental plaques depends, and restricting absorption of bacterium on tooth surface, thus reducing quantity of dental plaques.
In 2002, share of sugar-free chewing gum in European chewing gum market was as follows: Spain 85%, UK 73%, Germany 71%, France 64%, and Italy 53%; in 2005, such as share in UK and German market was 80% respectively; and in 1995, such a share in Japanese market accounted for 15%, which increased to 68% in 2003; from 2002-2004, sales volume of sugar-free chewing gum in Korean market accounted for 78% of total sales volume of chewing gum; in 2004, such proportion in Taiwan Region of China was 77%; in 1998, such proportion in Chinese mainland was 1%, which increased to 28% in 2004. In terms of other candies, in 2003, share of sugar-free candies in European market was as follows: Spain 57%, Switzerland 47%, Germany 25% and France 14%.

Xylitol pharmaceuticals are the therapeutic agent, nutritional agent and the best sweetener of diabetics. As the third most powerful “killer” following AIDS and caner, diabetes enlisted by the medical circle, diabetes is also known as “sub-cancer”. Result of the resident census carried out by Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine (CAPM) on over 40,000 20-74-year-old residents in 11 provinces (municipalities) nationwide shows that, incidence of diabetes is 3.12%; persons with impaired glucose tolerance account for 4.76%; and there are 50,000,000 – 60,000,000 persons in total who suffer from diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance in China, among whom, less than 5% patients are fallen into the scope of Type I, which mostly happens to children and young people and occurs acutely due to serious lack of insulin in body; and over 95% patients are fallen into the scope of Type II, which mostly happens to the elder and easily causes ignorance and missed diagnosis due to its mild occurrence. It is not afraid of suffering from diabetes, but of the complications arising therefrom, such as acute complications, mainly including ketoacidosis, high osmosis coma and lactic acidosis, and chronic complications, mainly including cardiovascular, retina, kidney and neuropathy. Complications not only bring pains to patients, but also danger their’ life in case of seriousness. Xylitol is an ideal medicine for diabetes treatment, and also an ideal sweet food for people with abnormal glucose metabolism.