Liquid glucose

Glucose syrup, also known as confectioner's glucose, is a syrup made from the hydrolysis of starch. Glucose is a sugar. Maize (corn) is commonly used as the source of the starch in the US, in which case the syrup is called "corn syrup", but glucose syrup is also made from potatoes and wheat, and less often from barley, rice and cassava.

Glucose syrup containing over 90% glucose is used in industrial fermentation, but syrups used in confectionery contain varying amounts of glucose, maltose and higher oligosaccharides, depending on the grade, and can typically contain 10% to 43% glucose. Glucose syrup is used in foods to sweeten, soften texture and add volume. By converting some of the glucose in corn syrup into fructose (using an enzymatic process), a sweeter product, high fructose corn syrup can be produced.

Functional Category

Coating agent; sweetening agent; tablet binder.

Applications in Pharmaceutical Formulation or Technology

Liquid glucose is used as a base in oral solutions and syrups and also as a granulating and coating agent in tablet manufacture. In sugar

solutions for tablet coating, liquid glucose is used to retard the crystallization of the sucrose. Liquid glucose is also used in

confectionery products.

Liquid glucose is an aqueous solution of several compounds, principally dextrose, dextrin, fructose, and maltose, with other

oligosaccharides and polysaccharides. It is a colorless, odorless, and viscous sweet-tasting liquid, ranging in color from colorless to

straw-colored.

Liquid glucose is classified into four categories according to its degree of hydrolysis, expressed as dextrose equivalent (DE):

Type I: 20–38 DE;

Type II: 38–58 DE;

Type III: 58–73 DE;

Type IV: >73 DE.