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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Quantifying Plant Soluble Protein and Digestible Carbohydrate Content, Using Corn (Zea mays) As an Exemplar
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An isotopic method for quantifying sweeteners derived from corn and sugar cane.

A Hope Jahren1, Christopher Saudek, Edwina H Yeung

  • 1Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and the Center for Human Nutrition, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA. jahren@jhu.edu

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|December 13, 2006
PubMed
Summary

A new method uses carbon-isotope signatures to measure consumption of high-fructose corn syrup and cane sugar. This technique can help assess dietary intake and study diet-disease links in obesity and diabetes.

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Area of Science:

  • Nutritional Science
  • Biochemistry
  • Analytical Chemistry

Background:

  • High-fructose corn syrup and cane sugar consumption are linked to obesity and diabetes epidemics.
  • Currently, no reliable biomarker exists to track intake of these sweeteners.
  • Understanding sweetener consumption is crucial for public health research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the natural abundance stable-carbon-isotope signature of common plant-derived foods.
  • To establish a baseline for differentiating corn- and sugar cane-derived ingredients.
  • To explore a novel method for assessing dietary intake of specific sweeteners.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of approximately 100 plant-derived food products from local grocery stores.
  • Measurement of 13C (carbon-13) to 12C (carbon-12) isotope ratios using stable-isotope mass spectrometry.
  • Characterization of the natural abundance stable-carbon-isotope profiles of various foods.

Main Results:

  • Distinct carbon-isotope signatures were identified for corn- and sugar cane-derived foods.
  • Foods rich in high-fructose corn syrup exhibited a specific range of 13C/12C ratios.
  • The study successfully differentiated between sweeteners based on their isotopic composition.

Conclusions:

  • A novel technique utilizing stable-carbon-isotope profiles can estimate human consumption of corn- and sugar cane-sweetened foods.
  • Measuring isotope ratios in human tissues or blood offers an objective assessment of dietary intake.
  • This method presents new opportunities for studying diet-disease relationships, particularly concerning obesity and diabetes.