Glucose oxidase-mediated gelation: a simple test to detect glucose in food products

This paper reports a simple, rapid, and sugar-selective method to induce gelation from glucose-containing samples. This method employs glucose oxidase (GOx) to selectively "recognize" and oxidize glucose to generate gluconic acid, which acts to solubilize calcium carbonate and release calcium ions. The release of calcium ions triggers gelation of the calcium-responsive polysaccharide alginate to form a calcium-alginate hydrogel. Rheological measurements confirm that gel formation is triggered by glucose but not fructose or sucrose (consistent with GOx's selectivity). Vial inversion tests demonstrate that gel formation can be readily observed without the need for instrumentation. Proof-of-concept studies demonstrate that this gel-forming method can detect glucose in food/beverage products sweetened with glucose or high-fructose corn syrups. These results indicate that the enzyme-induced gelation of alginate may provide a simple means to test for sweeteners using components that are safe for use on-site or in the home.