Noninvasive Evaluation of Intestinal Lactase with 4-Galactosylxylose: Comparison with 3- and 2-Galactosylxylose and Optimization of the Method in Rats

Abstract

4-Galactosylxylose is the most suitable compound for the evaluation of lactase activity in vivo. Measurement of the derived D-xylose in either urine or blood gives an estimate of the total lactose digestive capacity of the small intestine. The optimized method holds promise for development of a simple, low-cost, and reliable new test for the noninvasive diagnosis of hypolactasia.