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Lactulose as a food ingredient
Author(s) -
Olano Agustín,
Corzo Nieves
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.3694
Subject(s) - lactulose , lactose , laxative , prebiotic , ingredient , chemistry , food science , fermentation , galactose , fructose , food industry , ketose , sugar , biochemistry , organic chemistry , glycoside , medicine , surgery , constipation , aldose
Lactulose is a synthetic ketose disaccharide that can be obtained from lactose by different methods of synthesis. Chemical methods are based on the isomerization of lactose in the presence of basic catalysts and enzymatic methods using lactose as a galactose donor and fructose as an acceptor. The prebiotic properties of lactulose have been known for more than 50 years and numerous studies have confirmed several health benefits of lactulose as a food ingredient, including selective stimulation of intestinal flora, laxative effect and improvement of calcium absorption. Its use in fermented milk manufacture may reduce the incubation period and favour the growth of bifidobacteria. The synthesis of lactulose‐derived oligosaccharides may provide a new group of prebiotics with properties complementary to those of native lactulose. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry