Whole Fruit Extracts from the Fruits of the Curcubitaceae Family and Uses Thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of preparing whole fruit extract from the fruits of the Curcubitaceae family. The method includes extracting the peel and pulp of whole fruits by boiling water. In one embodiment, there is provided Luo Han Guo whole fruit extract. The resulting whole fruit extract can be formulated into a sugar-free or no sugar added, low calorie, low glycemic index syrup or jam comprising, e.g. the Luo Han Guo whole fruit extract and sugar alcohols (polyols).

Description

[0001]This application claim priority of U.S. Ser. No. 11 / 533,625, Filed Sep. 20, 2006, and U.S. Ser. No. 11 / 288,632, filed Nov. 21, 2005, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates to the preparation and uses of stabilized whole fruit extract from the fruits of the Curcubitaceae family.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Nowadays consumers are becoming more and more health conscious, and are ever mindful of what they eat and their overall carbohydrate intake. Many people try to avoid high consumption of refined sugar, thus creating a huge demand for an alternative—a natural sweetener. The growth of the sweetener market has redefined what traditionally constitutes a sweetener, encouraged innovative usages of such sweetener in functional products, and developed customized sweetener for focused use and optimal benefits.[0004]Sugar (sucrose) is a carbohydrate that consists of two simple sugars, fructose and glucose. Sucro...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a method for making a whole fruit extract from fruits of the Curcubitaceae family. This extract can be used to create sugar-free or no sugar added food or beverages that contain natural sweeteners. The method involves heating the fruits in water to obtain an extracted liquid with solid components of the whole fruits. The whole fruit extract has a low calorie and glycemic index, making it ideal for diabetics and people who want to control their sugar intake. The invention also provides syrups and jams with diabetic therapeutic function.

Problems solved by technology

However it was banned by FDA because a Canadian study confirmed that the widely used artificial sweetener causes cancer in test animals.

Stevia is sold as a dietary supplement only because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration contends that there is not enough data to regard Stevia as safe for food consumption.

Unfortunately, the taste of these sugar-free products is often not very pleasant.

On the other hand, traditional syrups, e.g. maple or corn syrup, contain a high level of sugar that is not suitable for people who want to avoid high glycemic level and calorie count.

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