Trehalose is a stable, non-reducing disaccharide commonly found in various organisms such as algae, bacteria, fungi, yeast, insects, and invertebrates. It serves not only as a storage carbohydrate but also plays a crucial role in stress metabolism. Unlike other sugars, trehalose is non-reducing and composed of unique disaccharide molecules. Its remarkable stability allows it to form a protective layer on cell surfaces under extreme conditions like high heat, freezing, dehydration, and water loss. This protective film helps preserve the structure of biomolecules, ensuring the proper functioning of biological systems. Due to its versatile properties, trehalose has found wide applications in fields such as biopharmaceuticals, medicine, food, cosmetics, and agriculture.
In the food and pharmaceutical industries, trehalose effectively protects biofilms and macromolecules from damage caused by drying, freezing, and osmotic stress. It can also shield DNA from radiation-induced harm and act as a stabilizer for biological products, including vaccines and plasma proteins. In cosmetics, it functions as a moisturizing agent, while in food, it serves as a low-calorie sweetener that can replace sucrose, making it ideal for diabetics. Trehalose is also used in children's foods like candy and chocolate, helping reduce the risk of dental caries.
Currently, large-scale production of trehalose is limited, with only a few companies, such as Japan’s Linyuan Chemical and China Nanning Connaught Sino Biological Engineering, leading the market. However, the Beijing Technology Exchange Center has successfully developed a small-scale production process using corn starch as a raw material and enzymatic methods to produce trehalose. The process shows higher fermentation efficiency and raw material conversion rates, significantly lowering production costs.
The global demand for trehalose is growing rapidly. It is estimated that annual demand will exceed 150,000 tons in the coming years. However, current global production capacity is around 80,000 tons per year, leaving a significant gap. Most of the trehalose used in China is still imported from Japan, creating a strong opportunity for domestic enzymatic production. The strains used in the production process are non-genetically modified, ensuring a safe and natural product.
With over 20 million newborns in China annually, there is a huge demand for vaccines that require trehalose as a stabilizer. This single application could generate an annual revenue of up to 80 million yuan. In the food preservation and agricultural sectors, the demand for trehalose has already reached over 2,500 tons in 2002, and is expected to surpass 100,000 tons by 2005. As a result, the market potential for trehalose is substantial, especially in food preservation and cosmetics.
A 100-ton-per-year trehalose production facility would require an equipment investment of 3 million yuan, with direct raw material costs of approximately 7,000 yuan per ton. At a market price of 79,000 yuan per ton, the annual profit could reach 4.8 million yuan. Given these promising economic returns and increasing demand, the development of domestic trehalose production is both feasible and highly beneficial.
Author: Beijing Technology Exchange Promotion Center
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