A novel strategy utilizing waste glucose mother liquor to prepare gentiooligosaccharide-based functional syrup by...

Crystalline glucose mother liquor is an industrial by-product generated in large quantities, and finding a green, efficient method for utilizing this resource is of great concern to sugar enterprises. Normally, gentiooligosaccharides are prepared from high-concentration glucose, which is a major component of glucose mother liquor. Therefore, we creatively used mother liquor as an alternative to prepare gentiooligosaccharide-based functional syrup through β-glucosidase catalysis.

The product catalyzed by β-glucosidase could be further enriched through yeast fermentation, achieving a gentiooligosaccharide content of 67.38%, the highest concentration reported to date. In vitro fermentation revealed that the product with high gentiooligosaccharide content significantly enhanced the levels of short-chain fatty acids and intestinal microbial diversity. Moreover, the product restructured the composition of intestinal flora, increasing the relative abundance of probiotics (Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus) by 271 times compared to the control.

The functional syrup developed in this study has the potential to serve as a prebiotic to modulate the intestinal environment, and offers a novel approach to the high-value utilization of glucose mother liquor, advancing the green industry. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.