Isogalactobiose (β-D-galactopyranosyl β-D-galactopyranoside), galsucrose (β-D-fructofuranosyl α-D-galactopyranoside) and lactosucrose (O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→4)-O-α-D-glucopyranosyl β-D-fructofuranoside) were synthesized as potential sugar sources that selectively enhance the growth of bifidobacteria in the human intestines. Isogalactobiose was synthesized by means of the Koenigs-Knorr reaction and the others by using levansucrase. The structures of these sugars were confirmed by enzymic hydrolysis. All of the sugars synthesized were utilized by bifidobacteria, but not by strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Streptococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli. However, isogalactobiose was utilized by 65%, galsucrose by 62% and lactosucrose by 41% of thirty-seven strains of Enterobacteriaceae isolated from nineteen adults, while raffinose, which had seemed to be the best among commercially available sugars tested, was utilized by 49% of the strains.
                                    异半
乳糖二糖(β-
D-半乳糖吡喃苷β-
D-半乳糖吡喃苷)、半
乳糖蔗糖(β-
D-果糖呋喃苷α-
D-半乳糖吡喃苷)和
乳糖蔗糖(O-β-
D-半乳糖吡喃苷-(1→4)-O-α-
D-葡萄糖吡喃苷β-
D-果糖呋喃苷)被合成作为潜在的糖源,能够选择性地增强人类肠道中双歧杆菌的生长。异半
乳糖二糖通过Koenigs-Knorr反应合成,其他糖则是通过利用
左旋糖酶合成。这些糖的结构通过酶解确认。所有合成的糖都被双歧杆菌利用,但不被嗜酸乳杆菌、产粪链球菌和大肠杆菌株利用。然而,异半
乳糖二糖被从十九名成年人分离出的三十七株肠杆菌中的65%利用,半
乳糖蔗糖被62%利用,
乳糖蔗糖被41%利用,而在测试的商业可用糖中,看来是最佳的红藻糖则被49%的菌株利用。