NATURAL PLANTS BASED-SYRUPS AS A POTENTIAL FUNCTIONAL ALTERNATIVES

Natural sugar alternatives have received much consumer interest as a result of concerns about the possible negative effects of high sugar intake on human health. Consuming sugar increases caloric intake and increases the risk of obesity, which is considered a risk indicator for a number of chronic illnesses. The utilization of low calorie natural plant syrups as sugar substitute is a good approach for producing value-added functional nutritional products that are safe and have positive health benefits. Natural plant-based syrups, like those made from fructan and saccharides, contain bioactive compounds and nutrients that are metabolized by the body. On the other hand, novel glycosidic syrups extracted from stevia and monk fruit have a sweet taste with very few calories. This review focuses on some natural plant syrups that can be used as substitutes for sugar. In addition, the article offers information on the process, the physicochemical characteristics, nutritional and functional compounds of natural plant syrups, as well as their applications in food and pharmaceutical industries.