What Is Glucono-Delta-Lactone?
Glucono-delta-lactone, a natural organic compound, has the chemical formula C6H10O6. Known also as honeydew acid, it is found abundantly in honey. This compound, differing from glucose by having a hydroxy group replaced with a ketone, offers a mild sweet and sour taste. It finds use as an additive in both food and cosmetics.
Uses of Glucono-Delta-Lactone
As a safe, natural lactone, glucono-delta-lactone serves various purposes in the food industry due to its harmless nature. It functions as an expander, coagulant, pH adjuster, and acidifier, contributing a gentle sweet and sour flavor, making it an ideal food additive.
1. Expanding Agent for Foods
Primarily used alongside baking soda as an expanding agent, glucono-delta-lactone is a component of certain baking powders. It reacts slowly with baking soda in the dough of cakes, doughnuts, and bread, generating uniform air bubbles for dough expansion, offering a safer and taste-neutral alternative to traditional alum-based leavening agents.
2. Food Coagulant
Its ability to gradually convert to gluconic acid upon dissolving in water, lowering pH, makes Glucono-Delta-Lactone an effective coagulant. This property is especially useful in tofu and cheese production, where it ensures even coagulation and supports mass production processes.
3. pH Adjuster
Utilized to adjust the pH of various foods, including noodles, processed meats, and fish products like fish cakes, glucono-delta-lactone’s mild pH-adjusting capability is essential for maintaining the desired taste and stability of food products.
4. Acidifiers
Adding a sour note to juices, jams, and sorbets, glucono-delta-lactone acts as an acidifier, enhancing flavors without overpowering them.
5. Cosmetic Additive
In cosmetics, glucono-delta-lactone’s chelating properties help trap metal ions, stabilizing products like shampoos and facial cleansers. It also enables gel formation in facial packs when mixed with polysaccharides.
Properties of Glucono-Delta-Lactone
| Chemical Formula | C6H10O6 |
| Common Names | Gluconolactone, GDL, Honey Acid |
| CAS No. | 90-80-2 |
| Molecular Weight | 178.14 g/mol |
Water and alcohol-soluble, glucono-delta-kactone transforms into gluconic acid when dissolved in water, a process that accelerates with heat.
Other Information About Glucono-Delta-Lactone
Synthesis
Naturally produced by honey bees, glucono-delta-lactone is synthesized from glucose. Commercially, it is mass-produced through enzymatic fermentation, offering an efficient synthesis route from glucose.