Assessment of the Hypoglycemic and Hypolipidemic Activities of Fructans and Their Laurate Bioconjugates

Fructans are oligosaccharides that can be obtained from various sources, including agave byproducts generated during tequila production. These compounds exhibit prebiotic effects and have been studied for their effects on glucose and lipid metabolism. The techniques to evaluate the hypoglycemic and lipid-lowering effects of fructans are detailed below. The hypoglycemic activity was assessed using two approaches. The in vitro method employed a glucose dialysis retardation assay, which simulates intestinal glucose absorption through a glucose-permeable membrane. For the in vivo assessment, a normoglycemic animal model was used to simulate postprandial conditions after ingestion of a high-carbohydrate load, enabling the evaluation of fructan's impact on blood glucose. For hypolipidemic activity, the in vitro model involved the inhibition of porcine pancreatic lipase, simulating the intestinal-level effects of fructans on the enzyme responsible for lipid hydrolysis. In the in vivo model, the effects of fructans were evaluated by measuring changes in blood cholesterol levels after inducing the rise of blood cholesterol levels, assessing the potential of fructans to mitigate hyperlipidemia. Furthermore, as fructans are chemically versatile molecules, bioconjugates have been synthesized to enhance their functional properties. This includes the lipase-catalyzed synthesis of bioconjugates of agave fructans with laurate, consisting in creating new bonds between their functional groups and fatty acids, followed by their purification and characterization. These bioconjugates represent an innovative approach to expanding the functional applications of fructans.