Trehalose and its Diverse Biological Potential

Abstract

Trehalose, a disaccharide molecule of natural origin, is known for its diverse biological applications, like in drug development, research application, natural scaffold, stem cell preservation, food, and various other industries. This review has discussed one such diverse molecule ‘trehalose aka mycose’, and its diverse biological applications with respect to therapeutics. Due to its inertness and higher stability at variable temperatures, it has been developed as a preservative to store stem cells, and later, it has been found to have anticancer properties. Trehalose has recently been associated with modulating cancer cell metabolism, diverse molecular processes, neuroprotective effect, and so on. This article describes the development of trehalose as a cryoprotectant and protein stabilizer as well as a dietary component and therapeutic agent against various diseases. The article discusses its role in diseases via modulation of autophagy, various anticancer pathways, metabolism, inflammation, aging and oxidative stress, cancer metastasis and apoptosis, thus highlighting its diverse biological potential.

Physiological and Transcriptome Analyses Reveal the Protective Effect of Exogenous Trehalose in Response to Heat Stress in Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis)

“…Trehalose, a non-reducing disaccharide, composed of two glucose molecules, serves several functional roles, such as conferring thermostability, providing osmotic protection, storing energy, regulating growth, and participating in sugar signaling [9]. Trehalose metabolism has been associated with cell survival under adverse conditions, making it crucial for stress tolerance in vivo [10][11][12][13]. Exogenous trehalose application enhances a plant's ability to withstand stress related to high temperature.…”

Effect of trehalose on mortality and disease severity in ICU-admitted patients: Protocol for a triple-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial

“…There are various molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of trehalose [ 65 ]. Trehalose induces autophagy in a mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin)-independent manner [ [65] , [66] , [67] ].…”

“…There are various molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of trehalose [ 65 ]. Trehalose induces autophagy in a mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin)-independent manner [ [65] , [66] , [67] ]. It suppresses the activity of glucose transport proteins on the cell surface, leading to the phosphorylation of the autophagy-initiating kinase ULK1.…”

“…Additionally, trehalose promotes cellular defense against oxidative stress through an autophagy-independent manner [ 74 ]. It also stabilizes proteins and prevents protein aggregation and protects cell components from the effects of oxidative stress [ 65 , 75 , 76 ]. Furthermore, trehalose reduces inflammatory cytokines.…”

Trehalose Production Using Three Extracellular Enzymes Produced via One-Step Fermentation of an Engineered Bacillus subtilis Strain

“…However, over the years, it has been revealed that trehalose may also perform specialized biological functions such as protecting proteins and membranes against various stresses [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]. In recent decades, trehalose has sparked growing interest in a variety of industrial applications, which are mainly attributed to its structural features and its special role in molecular stabilization [ 4 , 7 , 8 ]. It has been widely used in pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, cosmetics, and agricultural products [ 2 , 4 , 7 ].…”