Adam Ana C, Rubio-Texeira Marta, Polaina Julio
Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, Valencia, Spain.
Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2004;44(7-8):553-7. doi: 10.1080/10408690490931411.
Lactose is a very important sugar because of its abundance in the milk of humans and domestic animals. Lactose is a valuable asset as a basic nutrient and the main substrate in fermentative processes that led to the production of fermented milk products, such as yogurt and kefir. In some instances, lactose also can be a problem as the causative agent of some diseases, such as lactose intolerance and galactosemia, or for being a by-product generated in huge amounts by the cheese industry. The study of the biochemical reactions leading to the synthesis and assimilation of lactose has provided valuable models for the understanding of biosynthetic and catabolic processes. Lactose-hydrolyzing enzymes are structurally and phylogenetically related to different types of beta-galactosidases and bacterial cellobiases involved in the enzymatic degradation of cellulose. Biotransformation of lactose, by either enzymatic or fermentative procedures, is important for different types of industrial applications in dairy and pharmaceutical industries.
乳糖是一种非常重要的糖类，因为它在人类和家畜的乳汁中含量丰富。乳糖作为一种基本营养素和发酵过程中的主要底物，是一种有价值的资产，这些发酵过程导致了发酵乳制品的生产，如酸奶和开菲尔酸奶酒。在某些情况下，乳糖也可能成为问题，因为它是某些疾病的致病因素，如乳糖不耐受和半乳糖血症，或者是奶酪行业大量产生的副产品。对导致乳糖合成和同化的生化反应的研究为理解生物合成和分解代谢过程提供了有价值的模型。乳糖水解酶在结构和系统发育上与参与纤维素酶促降解的不同类型的β-半乳糖苷酶和细菌纤维二糖酶相关。通过酶促或发酵程序对乳糖进行生物转化，对于乳制品和制药行业的不同类型工业应用都很重要。
