title: Synthesis, characterisation and microbial utilisation of amorphous polysugars from lactose.
abstract: The melt polymerisations of glucose, galactose, xylose and fucose with citric acid, and mixtures of sugars therein are reported. Characterisation of the citric-acid catalysed reaction products indicated similar degrees of branched polymerisation but differences in the overall molecular weight of the polymers produced. The dairy by-product lactose could not be polymerised in a similar fashion but was shown to be readily hydrolysed using microwave radiation and a polymer generated from the melt condensation of the resultant glucose and galactose monosaccharides. A preliminary assessment of the bifido-bacterial utilisation of the lactose-derived polymerised products demonstrated a significantly different growth profile compared to commercially utilised galactooligosaccharides (GOS).
authors.affiliation: The Ferrier Research Institute, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 33-436, Petone 5046, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Alison M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Daines
authors.affiliation: The Ferrier Research Institute, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 33-436, Petone 5046, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Zlatka
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Smart
authors.affiliation: The Ferrier Research Institute, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 33-436, Petone 5046, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Ian M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Sims
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Gerald W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Tannock
authors.affiliation: The Ferrier Research Institute, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 33-436, Petone 5046, New Zealand. Electronic address: simon.hinkley@vuw.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Simon F R
authors.initials: SFR
authors.lastname: Hinkley
mesh_terms: D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000378:metabolism*; D001711:Biotransformation; D007785:Lactose / Q000737:chemistry*; D008872:Microwaves; D058105:Polymerization; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011134:Polysaccharides; D007785:Lactose
keywords: Carbohydrate analysis; Citric acid (PubChem CID: 311); Fucose (PubChem CID: 71315513); Galactose (PubChem CID: 6036); Glucose (PubChem CID: 79025); Lactose (PubChem CID: 6134); Melt polymerisation; Microbial utilisation; Microwave; Polydextrose (PubChem CID: 71306906); Xylose (PubChem CID: 135191)