Merck, T0167-25G, D-(+)-Trehalose dihydrate

General description
Trehalose is a non-reducing disaccharide, ubiquitously present in nature. It is used as a food preservative and also to retain enzymes, vaccines, cells and many other molecules. Trehalose is present as hemolymph sugar among the invertebrates.
Application
D-(+)-Trehalose dihydrate has been used in a slow-freezing method for freezing rabbit oocytes. It has also been used in solid-surface vitrification (SSV) of in vitro-matured oocytes. It is suitable for use as a cryoprotectant in a variety of cell freezing media.
Biochem/physiol Actions
Trehalose is essential for embryogenesis, carbon metabolism, photosynthesis and flowering in plants. It predominantly exists among the species that supports anhydrobiosis (life without water). It serves as a carbohydrate reserve in microorganisms and protects them from adverse conditions, such as heat, cold, dehydration, desiccation and oxidation. Trehalose acts as a chemical chaperone affecting protein folding. It is known to prevent amyloid generation and accummulation of β-amyloid in vitro. A similar effect of trehalose has been observed with huntingtin protein aggregation. Thus, it might serve as a protective agent in Alzheimer′s disease and Huntington′s disease.