outline one industrial use of lactose

What is Lactose and an outline of one Industrial use of Lactose?

The aim of this article is to outline one industrial use of lactose, even though there are currently various uses in different industries. However, before going in-depth into the use of lactose, it is best we explain first what milk sugar is.

What is Lactose

Unlike monosaccharides, lactose is a disaccharide, consisting of two linked molecules of simple sugars: D-galactose and D-glucose, which are produced upon hydrolysis. The production of lactose in nature, specifically in mammals, is from the mammalian breast. The primary source of carbohydrates in mammals' milk is lactose. The milk from human breast contains one of the highest concentrations of lactose, which is one of milk's chief constituents, at 7%. On the other hand, the amount of lactose in other dairy species like sheep and cow, for instance, has about a 5% lactose concentration.

Lactin is a by-product in the cheese making process from whey. It is produced by the crystallization of whey concentrate. The ability of a human's body to break down lactin depends on the presence or low presence of lactase. The right amount of this natural enzyme will allow the body to break lactin into its two monosaccharides and properly digest it. The body's inability to properly break down lactin is identified as "Lactose Intolerant."

Physical properties of 4-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-D-glucopyranose

There are two isomeric forms milk sugar exist in: alpha (α), also known as monohydrate, and beta (β), anhydrous. The only differences between the isomeric forms is more prevalent in their level of differing solubility and melting point. While the alpha's solubility, monohydrate, is at 7g/100g, that of the beta, anhydrous, is at 50g/100g.

The form of milk sugar used commercially is alpha monohydrate. Its chemical formula is C₁₂H₂₂O_11· H₂O.

An industrial use of Lactobiose

In this section, we will outline one industrial use of lactose. As a result of lactobiose's physiological attributes, it's commercial utilization is widespread in the pharmaceutical industry. There are justifiable reasons why this is so, which we will be explaining in this article.

There is a high demand for lactose globally, with the world's production at about 500,000 tons a year, and still increasing. Its supply is being met by demand from different sectors. Milk sugar is predominantly used in the preparation and manufacturing of medications in the pharmaceutical industry.

Lactin can be found present in different dosage forms like capsules, syrups, tablets, to mention a few. Functioning as an excipient, lactin serves as an inactive ingredient or substance in aiding the successful delivery of the active ingredients of medications in the body. As a result of this, it is not surprising that lactin is present in about 60% to 70% of all medication dosage forms.

The additional functions lactose anhydrous can be used for in the pharmaceutical industry include, and its benefits include:

Functioning as a filler: There are moments when the active ingredient in a medication is minute. This necessitates the need for fillers to increase the bulk of the medication while not hampering the active ingredient in any way whatsoever.

Acting as a binder: Lactose anhydrous can also serve as a binder in drugs by enabling active ingredients in a medication in any dosage form to properly mix with one another. This guarantees the efficacy of the drug.

Compatibility: 4-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-D-glucopyranose is easily compatible with active ingredients in drugs. Hence, it is a perfect inactive ingredient to be included in pharmaceutical dosage forms because of the merits it brings. In addition, it also has the physical and chemical stability to be compatible with active ingredients in drugs.

Economical: As an inactive ingredient in drugs, in addition to the benefits it brings, 4-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-D-glucopyranose is relatively cheap. Besides being cheap, it is also easily accessible and readily available.

While there are numerous uses of lactose in various industries including like food, we were able to outline one industrial use of lactose in this section, pharmaceutical industry, including its benefits.

Final words

There is a high demand for lactose globally in different industries today. Nonetheless, we were able to outline one industrial use of lactin in the pharmaceutical industry, even though there are different uses of it. There are many benefits of adding milk sugar to different dosage forms of drugs, some of which include being a good excipient, filler and binder.