Investigation of improved rebaudioside D solubility and the characteristics of an erythritol / rebaudioside D / fructose ternary complex

We developed a ternary system using an erythritol/fructose melt to form a complex in which rebaudioside D (RebD) was dispersed. This ternary complex improved the solubility of RebD in water compared to RebD alone. In addition, the complex was observed to have a taste closer to sucrose. Scanning electron microscopy indicated that the ternary complex has finer surface crevices, and it exhibited nonuniform dissolution in a dissolution test. Examination of RebD dispersion in the solid by differential scanning calorimetry suggested that erythritol and fructose might have a solid solution composition. We confirmed that the solubility of RebD was improved in the multicomponent system as well as in the binary system. This useful finding will enable the production of a single composition with various advantages such as improved solubility and taste modifications; furthermore, it can achieve operational efficiency in an industrial-level manufacturing process.