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4'-Galactosyllactose (4'-GL) is a minor trisaccharide in human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs).
Structure:
Gal(α1-4)Gal(β1-4)Glc
(α-Galactose linked to the 4-position of lactose’s terminal galactose).
Formula: C₁₈H₃₂O₁₆ (MW: 504.4 g/mol).
Source:
Naturally occurs in trace amounts (<5% of total HMOs) in human breast milk.
Function:
Prebiotic: Promotes growth of beneficial Bifidobacteria in infant gut.
Anti-pathogen: Blocks microbial adhesion to intestinal cells.
Status:
4'-Galactosyllactose (CAS 6587-31-1) — Summary
4'-Galactosyllactose (4'-GL) is a structurally defined trisaccharide galactooligosaccharide (GOS) produced enzymatically from lactose via β-(1→4) glycosidic linkages. As a prebiotic dietary fiber, it resists upper-GI digestion and reaches the colon intact, where it selectively promotes Bifidobacterium proliferation — with bifidogenic efficacy shown to surpass that of lactulose in human trials.
Colonic fermentation of 4'-GL generates beneficial short-chain fatty acids (acetate, propionate, butyrate), while suppressing putrefactive bacteria and reducing secondary bile acid formation. Human studies confirm significant increases in fecal bifidobacteria (p < 0.01) and decreased fecal pH after just two weeks of supplementation at 2.5–5.0 g/day.
For sports nutrition and body-shaping applications, 4'-GL supports gut microbiota balance under high-protein diets, enhances mineral absorption, maintains mucosal immune defense (IgA elevation), and provides low glycemic impact — making it a clean-label, formulation-compatible prebiotic ingredient for fitness-oriented functional foods and supplements.
Specifications of 4'-GALACTOSYLLACTOSE CAS 6587-31-1 COA:
Items | Specifications | Results |
Appearance(25℃) | White to Light yellow Powder | White Powder |
Odor | Characteristic of the product,free from extraneous odor. | Characteristic of the product,free from extraneous odor. |
Impurities | No foreign matter visible to the naked eye | No foreign matter visible to the naked eye |
Galactooligosaccharide Content (on a dry basis) / (g/100g) | ≥90 | 91.6 |
Lactose Content (on a dry basis) / (g/100g) | ≤10 | 6.6 |
Glucose Content (on a dry basis) / (g/100g) | ≤3 | 1.0 |
pH | 2.8-5.5 | 4.3 |
Water Content/(g/100g) | ≤5.0 | 2.39 |
Total Plate Count CFU/g | ≤3000 | ＜10 |
E.coli MPN/g | ≤3.0 | ＜3.0 |
Conclusion | The product conforms to the above specifications. | |
Product Name:4’-Galactosyllactose
CAS:6587-31-1
MF:C18H32O16
Melting point :229-231 °C
form:powder
color:White
Uses:
4'-Galactosyllactose (CAS 6587-31-1) — A Comprehensive Overview
I. What Is 4'-Galactosyllactose?
4'-Galactosyllactose (4'-GL), CAS No. 6587-31-1, is a well-defined trisaccharide belonging to the galactooligosaccharide (GOS) family. Its systematic chemical name is O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→4)-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→4)-D-glucopyranose, reflecting a precise molecular architecture in which two galactose residues are sequentially linked to a terminal glucose unit via β-(1→4) glycosidic bonds.
Unlike conventional GOS mixtures — which contain a heterogeneous distribution of di-, tri-, and tetrasaccharides with varying degrees of polymerization and linkage patterns — 4'-galactosyllactose is a structurally defined, single-molecule oligosaccharide, offering superior reproducibility and analytical precision for formulation and quality control purposes.
Key Physicochemical Properties
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C₁₈H₃₂O₁₆ |
| Molecular weight | 504.44 g/mol |
| Melting point | 229–231 °C |
| Density | 1.75 ± 0.1 g/cm³ (predicted) |
| LogP | −4.137 (estimated) |
| EINECS No. | 218-362-5 |
| Solubility | Water-soluble |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder |
| Safety | Generally recognized as safe; produced enzymatically from lactose |
4'-Galactosyllactose is produced from lactose through enzymatic transgalactosylation, typically using β-galactosidase from Cryptococcus laurentii or similar microbial sources. This production route ensures a clean-label, food-grade profile with no synthetic chemical residues.
II. Prebiotic Dietary Fiber — Selective Gut Microbiota Modulation
1. Selective Utilization by Beneficial Bacteria
As a prebiotic dietary fiber, 4'-galactosyllactose resists hydrolysis by human digestive enzymes in the upper gastrointestinal tract and reaches the colon largely intact, where it serves as a fermentable substrate for specific beneficial gut microorganisms.
In vitro utilization studies have demonstrated that 4'-GL is selectively metabolized by Bifidobacterium species and the Bacteroides fragilis group, while being poorly utilized by most other gut bacterial genera — including many pathogenic and putrefactive species. Notably, the utilization efficiency of 4'-GL by Bifidobacterium spp. has been shown to be superior to that of lactulose, a widely used clinical prebiotic, indicating a higher degree of bifidogenic selectivity.
2. Significant Bifidobacterial Proliferation in Human Trials
Human intervention studies have consistently demonstrated the bifidogenic efficacy of 4'-GL:
In a randomized human trial, daily intake of 2.5 g of 4'-GL-containing GOS for two weeks resulted in a statistically significant increase in fecal Bifidobacterium counts and their proportion within the total bacterial population (p < 0.01). The magnitude of increase was more pronounced in the 5.0 g/day group.
A separate human study confirmed that during 4'-GL intake, only Bifidobacterium increased significantly (p < 0.01), while Bacteroidaceae showed a decreasing trend. Concurrently, fecal pH decreased during the intake period, indicating enhanced organic acid production — a hallmark of beneficial fermentation activity.
3. Suppression of Putrefactive Bacteria
Beyond promoting beneficial bacteria, 4'-GL exerts a suppressive effect on undesirable microbial populations. In murine studies, dietary supplementation with 2.5% galactosyllactose led to a significant decrease in staphylococci (p < 0.001) compared to lactose-fed controls, while the proportion of bifidobacteria to total bacterial counts was two times larger in the GL-fed group.
4. Short-Chain Fatty Acid Production
Colonic fermentation of 4'-GL generates beneficial short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs):
In mice fed a 2.5% GL diet, propionate and butyrate concentrations increased significantly (p < 0.01–0.001) compared to lactose-fed controls.
Animals receiving GL in drinking water showed dose-dependent increases in acetic, propionic, and n-butyric acid concentrations (p < 0.05–0.01), while iso-butyrate and iso-valerate — markers of putrefactive protein fermentation — decreased significantly (p < 0.05–0.01).
These SCFAs — particularly butyrate — serve as the primary energy source for colonocytes, strengthen the intestinal epithelial barrier, and exert systemic anti-inflammatory effects.
5. Immune Modulation via Gut-Associated Lymphoid Tissue
Galactooligosaccharides, including 4'-GL, have been shown to modulate the mucosal immune system through gut microbiota-mediated mechanisms:
Dietary GOS intake in mice significantly increased fecal total IgA levels within two weeks, and Peyer's patch cell culture supernatants and large intestinal tissue extracts showed elevated total IgA.
In allergen-sensitized mice, GOS supplementation significantly reduced serum total IgE, allergen-specific IgG1, splenocyte total IgE, and IL-4 production, indicating a shift from Th2-dominant toward a more balanced immune response.
In allergic rhinitis model mice, GOS-fed animals showed significantly suppressed sneezing frequency and a trend toward reduced nasal rubbing behavior.
These immunomodulatory effects are attributed not to direct immune cell stimulation by GOS itself, but rather to microbiota-mediated enhancement of the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) — consistent with the observation that GOS addition to immune cell cultures in vitro did not directly affect cell proliferation or antibody production.
III. Metabolic Management Support
1. Bile Acid Metabolism and Lipid Modulation
4'-GL has demonstrated effects on bile acid metabolism that are relevant to lipid homeostasis:
In human trials, GOS supplementation led to a decreasing trend in fecal deoxycholic acid (a secondary bile acid). In the 2.5 g/day group, 78% of subjects (7 out of 9) showed reductions in total secondary bile acids (deoxycholic acid + lithocholic acid + ursodeoxycholic acid); in the 10 g/day group, 88% of subjects (7 out of 8) showed similar reductions.
Secondary bile acids are produced by bacterial 7α-dehydroxylation of primary bile acids in the colon. By selectively modulating the gut microbiota composition — reducing bacteria responsible for this conversion — GOS can decrease the secondary bile acid pool, which has implications for cholesterol metabolism and colorectal health.
2. Mineral Absorption Enhancement
Research has demonstrated that β-(1→4)-linked galactooligosaccharides can enhance calcium and magnesium absorption in animal models. The proposed mechanism involves SCFA-mediated lowering of colonic pH, which increases the solubility and thus the bioavailability of these divalent cations. For athletes and fitness enthusiasts with elevated mineral demands due to bone loading and muscular contraction, this represents a meaningful nutritional advantage.
3. Low Glycemic Impact
As a non-digestible oligosaccharide, 4'-galactosyllactose is not hydrolyzed by human α-galactosidases or β-galactosidases in the small intestine. Hydrogen breath testing in humans confirmed that 17 out of 20 subjects (85%) showed significant hydrogen production after 4'-GOS administration, verifying its indigestible nature and consequently its minimal impact on postprandial blood glucose and insulin levels.
This low glycemic property makes 4'-GL an ideal functional sweetener/carbohydrate ingredient for fitness-oriented formulations targeting blood sugar management and caloric control.
IV. Application Value in Sports Nutrition and Body Shaping
1. Gut Health Optimization for High-Protein Diet Adherents
Fitness and body-shaping populations frequently consume high-protein diets (1.6–2.2 g/kg body weight/day), which can alter gut microbiota composition by increasing proteolytic fermentation and generating potentially harmful metabolites such as ammonia, phenol, p-cresol, and indole. 4'-GL, by selectively promoting saccharolytic fermentation over proteolytic fermentation, helps maintain a healthier microbial balance and reduce putrefactive metabolite production — as evidenced by the significant decrease in iso-butyrate and iso-valerate (markers of branched-chain fatty acid production from amino acid fermentation) observed in GL-fed animals.
2. Metabolic Efficiency During Caloric Restriction
During fat-loss phases, maintaining metabolic efficiency and nutrient absorption is critical. The SCFA production stimulated by 4'-GL — particularly butyrate — supports:
Intestinal barrier integrity, preventing "leaky gut" that may be exacerbated by intense training and dietary stress;
Systemic anti-inflammatory effects, reducing low-grade inflammation that can impair recovery and metabolic flexibility;
Enhanced mineral absorption, supporting bone density under mechanical loading from resistance training.
3. Immune Resilience for Athletes
Intense and prolonged exercise is known to transiently suppress mucosal immunity, increasing susceptibility to upper respiratory tract infections (URTI). The IgA-enhancing effects of GOS observed in animal models suggest that 4'-GL supplementation may help maintain mucosal immune defense in physically active individuals, supporting training consistency and reducing illness-related interruptions.
4. Clean-Label and Formulation Compatibility
4'-Galactosyllactose offers several formulation advantages for sports nutrition products:
Clean-label profile: Enzymatically produced from lactose (a natural milk sugar), it carries no E-number or synthetic additive designation;
Mild sweetness: Approximately 20%–40% the sweetness of sucrose, allowing it to function as a functional carbohydrate without excessive sweetness;
Heat stability: With a melting point of 229–231 °C, it is compatible with baking, extrusion, and other thermal processing methods used in protein bar and baked goods manufacturing;
Water solubility: Easily incorporated into ready-to-drink shakes, powders, gels, and bars;
Low caloric value: As a largely non-digestible carbohydrate, it contributes fewer metabolizable calories than conventional sugars, supporting caloric deficit strategies.
5. Synergistic Formulation Potential
4'-Galactosyllactose can be effectively combined with other functional ingredients in sports nutrition formulations:
4'-GL + whey protein isolate: Prebiotic fiber + complete amino acid profile for post-workout recovery shakes;
4'-GL + β-glucan: Dual prebiotic mechanism targeting both bifidogenic stimulation and viscous gel-mediated satiety/glycemic control;
4'-GL + probiotics (synbiotic approach): Combining 4'-GL as a targeted prebiotic substrate with specific probiotic strains (e.g., Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus acidophilus) for enhanced colonization efficacy;
4'-GL + MCT oil powder: Prebiotic fiber + rapidly oxidized fat source for sustained energy without glycemic disruption.
V. Summary
4'-Galactosyllactose (CAS 6587-31-1) is a structurally defined trisaccharide galactooligosaccharide with robust prebiotic activity. Its capacity to selectively promote Bifidobacterium proliferation — superior even to lactulose — combined with its demonstrated effects on SCFA production, bile acid metabolism, mineral absorption, mucosal immune enhancement, and putrefactive bacteria suppression, positions it as a high-value functional ingredient for sports nutrition and body-shaping applications.
For fitness and athletic populations seeking to optimize gut health under high-protein dietary regimens, support metabolic efficiency during caloric restriction, maintain immune resilience under training stress, and leverage clean-label formulation advantages, 4'-galactosyllactose represents a scientifically substantiated and commercially differentiated prebiotic solution.
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Name:Wuhan Fortuna Chemical Co.,Ltd
Category:Others
Trade Category: Trading Company
Employees: 11 - 50 People
Address: Room 2015, No.2 Building, Kaixin Mansion No.107
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