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Lactose

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Dairy Chemistry and Biochemistry

Abstract

Lactose is the principal carbohydrate in the milk of most mammals, exceptions are the California sea lion and the hooded seal, which are the only significant sources. Milk contains only trace amounts of other sugars, including glucose (50 mg/l) and fructose and glucosamine, galactosamine and N-acetyl neuraminic acid as components of glycoproteins and glycolipids. The milk of all species that have been studied contain oligosaccharides which are major constituents of the milk of some species, including human. This chapter will concentrate on the chemistry and properties of lactose with a short section on oligosaccharides.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College, Cork, Ireland

    P. F. Fox, T. Uniacke-Lowe, P. L. H. McSweeney & J. A. O’Mahony

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  1. P. F. Fox
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  2. T. Uniacke-Lowe
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  3. P. L. H. McSweeney
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  4. J. A. O’Mahony
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Fox, P.F., Uniacke-Lowe, T., McSweeney, P.L.H., O’Mahony, J.A. (2015). Lactose. In: Dairy Chemistry and Biochemistry. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14892-2_2

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