Comprehensive Report on Maltodextrin (DB12583)

Section 1: Introduction and Executive Summary

1.1 Preamble

Maltodextrin (CAS Number: 9050-36-6; DrugBank ID: DB12583) is a substance of profound paradox in modern food science, nutrition, and pharmacology. It exists simultaneously as a high-performance ergogenic aid for elite athletes, a ubiquitous and functional additive in a vast array of processed foods, a common excipient in pharmaceutical formulations, and, increasingly, a subject of significant scientific concern for its potential role in gut dysbiosis and intestinal inflammation. This report aims to provide a definitive, multi-disciplinary monograph on maltodextrin, reconciling its varied and often conflicting roles. By synthesizing evidence from chemistry, industrial processing, food technology, sports science, and clinical research, this document presents a nuanced, evidence-based assessment of its complete profile, from molecular structure to its complex interactions with human physiology.

1.2 Executive Summary

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of maltodextrin, a polysaccharide derived from the partial hydrolysis of starch. A central finding is the critical distinction between two forms that share a name but possess opposite physiological functions: digestible maltodextrin and resistant maltodextrin (RMD).