Overview of Epilactose

Epilactose is a rare disaccharide formed by linking D-galactose and D-mannose through β-1,4 glycosidic bonds, which is an isomer with lactulose and lactose. Epilactose promotes the proliferation of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus in the intestinal tract of rats without causing an increase in blood sugar levels. It is a disaccharide with prebiotic properties, which is important for maintaining intestinal health and controlling intestinal diseases. Moreover, epilactose is not easily digested and absorbed by the intestinal tract of mammals, but it significantly increases the ability of the small intestine to absorb calcium and iron, reduces the level of plasma low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol, and reduces the risk of atherosclerosis. Therefore, epifructose has broad application prospects.

Epilactose Analysis Service at CD BioGlyco

Epilactose often needs to be isolated from complex mixtures (e.g. milk, syrups, biological fluids) containing many other sugars and carbohydrates. With the development of analytical technology, the test of epilactose has become more and more simple, fast, and accurate.

• Spectrophotometry
  
  • Epilactose is hydrolyzed by a strong acid or enzyme.
  • The hydrolyzate is combined with a visualization reagent to generate colored reaction products.
  • The content of epilactose is measured by the absorbance of the chromophore.
• High-performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
  Ion-exchange chromatography has been commonly used ways in the analysis of epilactose in recent years because the slightly acidic nature of carbohydrates allows chromatographic separation through an ion-exchange mechanism. Commonly used detectors mainly include refractive index detector (RID), pulse current detector (PCD), and evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD). The advantage of HPLC is that lactulose and other sugars in the sample are evaluated simultaneously, and the content is accurately determined without interference from other carbohydrates.
• Gas Chromatography (GC)
  Epilactose is determined by GC, while a silylation reagent is required to prepare the corresponding volatile derivatives before determination.
• Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (MS)
  Moreover, the emerging chromatography-MS technology is also used to determine the content of epilactose without interference from the sample matrix.

Fig.1 Epilactose analysis service. (CD BioGlyco)

Publication

Paper Title: Quantification of lactulose and epilactose in the presence of lactose in milk using a dual HPLC analysis

Technology: A dual HPLC analysis

Journal: Food Analytical Methods

IF: 3.498

Published: 2016

Results: The dual HPLC analysis (Fig.2) presented here was used for the precise test of epilactose, lactose, and lactulose in milk samples. After sample preparation, pre-column derivatization of carbohydrates was followed by dual HPLC analysis. A BDS Hypersil RP-C18 column combined with UV detection (Method 1) was used for the determination of epilactose and lactose content, as the sugar xylose can also be derivatized under the parameters chosen, it served as an internal standard for quantitative calculations. Using an isocratic solvent of 20 mM TBAHSO₄ in sodium phosphate buffer is a mobile phase. The results (Fig.3) showed that the retention times of lactose, epilactose, and xylose were 14.5±0.1, 15.5±0.1, and 21.2±0.1 minutes, respectively. The methods all have good linearity, accuracy, and recovery rate.

Fig.2 Schematic diagram of the dual HPLC analysis for lactose, epilactose, and lactulose. (Rentschler, et al., 2016)

Fig.3 Chromatograms of various compounds in milk drinks. (Rentschler, et al., 2016)

Applications

• Dairy substitutes
  Epilactose is similar to lactose in taste and sweetness, which is used to research dairy substitutes, for example, dairy products, milk powder, and formula milk for lactose-intolerant people.
• Prebiotics
  Epilactose has prebiotic properties that promote the proliferation of beneficial bacteria and gut health, which is applied in the manufacture of prebiotic products and gut regulators.
• Medical study
  Epilactose has good solubility and stability, which is treated as an auxiliary component of a drug to improve its fluidity and stability.

Advantages

• CD BioGlyco has rich experience in the field of epilactose analysis and has mastered a variety of analysis methods and technologies.
• Our laboratory has advanced analytical equipment capable of conducting high-precision and efficient epilactose analysis.
• CD BioGlyco provides rapid sample receipt, analysis, and report delivery services for epilactose.

CD BioGlyco will provide optimal epilactose analysis services for your samples and provide quick feedback on results. Please feel free to contact us promptly if you are interested in learning more about our analysis services.

References:

1. Ito, S.; et al. Enzymatic properties of cellobiose 2-epimerase from Ruminococcus albus and the synthesis of rare oligosaccharides by the enzyme. Applied microbiology and biotechnology. 2008, 79(3): 433-441.
2. Nishimukai, M.; et al. Effects of epilactose on calcium absorption and serum lipid metabolism in rats. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. 2008, 56(21): 10340-10345.
3. Rentschler, E.; et al. Quantification of lactulose and epilactose in the presence of lactose in milk using a dual HPLC analysis. Food Analytical Methods. 2016, 9: 2210-2222.