The effects of maltitol on rat intestinal disaccharidases.

Abstract

1. The highest disaccharidase activity for sucrose, maltose and maltitol was found in the jejunum, followed by the ileum and duodenum. However, the disaccharidase activity for maltitol was extremely low compared with that for sucrose and maltose. 2. For maltitol, the Km value was very large and the Vmax value was very low compared with the values for sucrose and maltose. 3. The initial velocity (v) in the presence of sucrose and maltitol, was equal to the sum of the rates for individual substrates sucrose and maltitol (v1, v2) respectively (v=v1+v2). Thus, no competition between these substrates was observed. In the case of maltose and maltitol, the initial velocity (v) in the presence of both substrates was less than the sum of the individual rates for maltose and maltitol (vl, v2) in the absence of the other substrate (v