Determination of lactose by an enzymatic method

The general methodology used for the determination of lactose in milk is considered, namely, polarimetry, gravimetry, infrared, colorimetry, gas-liquid chromatography, and high pressure liquid chromatography. The criteria for selecting an ideal analytical method followed by the relevance of most of these criteria in enzymatic methodology are discussed. The principle of the Boehringer-Mannheim method is presented, i.e., lactose is hydrolyzed to glucose and beta-galactose in the presence of beta-galactosidase and water. beta-Galactose is then oxidized by nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide to galactonic acid in the presence of beta-galactose dehydrogenase. The amount of reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide formed is stoichiometric with the amount of lactose and is measured at 340 nm in a spectrophotometer possessing a slit width of less than or equal to 10 nm. The results of a recent Association of Official Analytical Chemists collaborative study of the B-M method are presented. From the overall mean of results on all samples, determinations by the enzymatic method averaged .49% lower than by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists gravimetric method. Standard deviations were similar for three sets of blind duplicates, which ranged between 3.67 and 4.55% lactose. F-Values revealed that variations between means obtained by laboratories differed significantly as compared with variations within laboratory means. The method has received Official First Action recognition by Association of Official Analytical Chemists.