Other uses of sugar and sugar derivatives

Sugar and other naturally occurring carbohydrates (e.g. honey) have been reported in both folklore and medical journals for their wound healing properties.^1,2 Sugar has been shown to activate natural painkillers when given to newborn babies. Researchers found that newborn babies who were given sugar had a lower response to pain when they were subjected to routine blood tests.³

Another important role is in oral rehydration therapy to combat the effects of severe diarrhoea in patients suffering from cholera and other life threatening diseases in the developing world (www.rehydrate.org). It has also been applied to the treatment and cessation of prolonged hiccups.⁴

Sugar derivatives have been shown to have therapeutic action in some conditions. Sucralfate (aluminium salt of sucrose octasulphate) is used in treatment of peptic and stomach ulcers.⁵

Platinum (bis and tris) complexes of sugar have demonstrated antitumour activity.⁶

Sugar esters have been used to improve the dissolution rate and thus the bioavailability of certain actives⁷ and also the stabilisation of suspensions and inhibition of crystal growth of actives (paracetamol).⁸

Sucrose polyesters have also been used as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).⁹