Lactulose Assay (F), Catalog: MA-0417

Catalog MA-0417

Size 100 wells

Sample Type Tissue & Cell Lysates, Liquid Samples

Method of Detection Fluorometric, Ex/Em = 535/587 nm

Application A simple, sensitive method for measuring lactulose in biological samples. 

Sensitivity < 50 picomoles

Storage Conditions -20°C

Shipping Temperature Gel Pack

Shelf Life One year from the date of delivery

Lactulose is a synthetic disaccharide composed of fructose and galactose. Humans lack the intestinal enzymes necessary to hydrolyze it. Consequently, it passes through the upper gastrointestinal tract completely undigested. Upon reaching the colon, resident saccharolytic bacteria metabolize lactulose. This fermentation process produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like acetate, propionate, and butyrate. These SCFAs lower the luminal pH of the colon. The acidification of the colon shifts the chemical equilibrium of ammonia (NH₃) to ammonium (NH₄⁺). Unlike lipid-soluble ammonia, water-soluble ammonium cannot diffuse across the colonic mucosa back into the bloodstream. It becomes trapped in the gut lumen and is excreted. This process reduces systemic blood ammonia levels. Lactulose is also used to examine gut permeability. Lactulose is normally mostly excluded by healthy tight junctions but can slip through the paracellular pathways if the mucosal barrier is compromised (colloquially termed "leaky gut"). AkrivisBio’s Lactulose Assay provides a simple, sensitive means of measuring lactulose in biological samples with a sensitivity below 50 picomoles.