A disaccharide of galactose and fructose which does not occur naturally but is formed in heated or stored milk by isomerisation of lactose. Not hydrolysed by human digestive enzymes but fermented by intestinal bacteria to form lactic and pyruvic acids. Thought to promote the growth of Lactobacillus bifidus and so added to some infant formulae; in large amounts it is a laxative.
An artificially produced sugar used as a laxative.
A laxative which is a semisynthetic disaccharide a type of carbohydrate that is not absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. It reduces the acidity of faeces.
A synthetic disaccharide, 4-0-/3-D-galactopyranosyl-Dfructofuranose, that is not hydrolyzed or absorbed in humans. It is metabolized by bacteria in the colon with the production of organic acids and is used to treat constipation and the encephalopathy that develops in patients with advanced cirrhosis of the liver. The unabsorbed sugar produces diarrhea, and the acid pH helps to contain ammonia in the feces.