What is Sucrase?
Sucrase is an essential digestive enzyme located on the small intestine's brush border that catalyzes the hydrolysis of sucrose (table sugar) into glucose and fructose. It enables the absorption of these simple sugars into the bloodstream. Deficiency causes sucrase-isomaltase deficiency (CSID), leading to symptoms like abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Everything You Need to Know
What is the function of the sucrase?
It acts as a catalyst in the small intestine to break down a sucrose molecule into two simpler sugars: glucose and fructose.
What foods are high in sucrase?
Sucrose (table sugar) added to processed foods (hot dogs, sweetened fruit juices, fruit drinks, sodas, canned fruits, ketchup, spaghetti sauces, etc.). Sucrose that occurs naturally in foods (maple syrup, molasses, fruits and vegetables).
What are the symptoms of sucrase deficiency?
Congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency usually becomes apparent after an infant is weaned and starts to consume fruits, juices, grains, and other starchy food. After ingestion of sucrose or maltose, an affected individual will typically experience stomach cramps, bloating, excess gas production, and diarrhea.
What is the difference between sucrose and sucrase?
Sucrose is a disaccharide composed of glucose and fructose. The enzyme sucrase (also called sucrase-isomaltase) hydrolyzes sucrose into its two component monosaccharides. Maltose consists of two molecules of glucose.
Main Details:
Sucrases are digestive enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of sucrose to its component monosaccharides, fructose and glucose. One form, sucrase-isomaltase, is secreted in the small intestine on the brush border.[1] The enzyme invertase, which occurs more commonly in plants, fungi and bacteria, also hydrolyzes sucrose (and other fructosides) but by a different mechanism: it is a fructosidase, whereas sucrase is a glucosidase.
Sucrose is a non-reducing sugar, so will not test positive with Benedict's solution. To test for sucrose, the sample is treated with sucrase. The sucrose is hydrolysed into glucose and fructose, with glucose being a reducing sugar, which in turn tests positive with Benedict's solution.
Function: It breaks down sucrose into glucose and fructose, which are then absorbed.
Location: Found in the intestinal brush border (microvilli) of the small intestine, acting as a crucial component of intestinal digestion.
Structure: It is often paired with isomaltase, forming the sucrase-isomaltase enzyme complex (SI).
Deficiency (CSID): A deficiency in this enzyme can be congenital (genetic) or caused by intestinal injury, resulting in symptoms such as diarrhea, bloating, gas, and abdominal pain due to malabsorption.
Diagnosis & Management: Diagnostic tests often include breath tests or biopsy; management involves dietary restrictions or supplementation.
ANALYTICAL RESULTS
| Test Item | Method / Ref. | Specification | Result | Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identification | In-house ID / label claim | Sucrase / Invertase | Conforms | Pass |
| Appearance | Visual | White to off-white powder | Off-white powder | Pass |
| Odor & Taste | Organoleptic | Characteristic | Conforms | Pass |
| Enzyme Activity | Supplier invertase/sucrase assay | NLT 0.15 SU/g | 0.17 SU/g | Pass |
| Activity Unit Definition | Supplier-defined unit | Report only | SU/g reported | Pass |
| Solubility | Water solubility test | Soluble / dispersible in water | Conforms | Pass |
| pH (1% solution) | pH meter | 4.0 – 6.5 | 5.1 | Pass |
| Loss on Drying | Gravimetric | ≤ 8.0% | 4.3% | Pass |
| Lead (Pb) | ICP-MS / ICP-OES | ≤ 5.0 mg/kg | 0.19 mg/kg | Pass |
| Arsenic (As) | ICP-MS / ICP-OES | ≤ 3.0 mg/kg | 0.10 mg/kg | Pass |
| Cadmium (Cd) | ICP-MS / ICP-OES | ≤ 0.5 mg/kg | < 0.05 mg/kg | Pass |
| Mercury (Hg) | ICP-MS / ICP-OES | ≤ 0.5 mg/kg | < 0.01 mg/kg | Pass |
| Total Plate Count | Plate count | ≤ 50,000 CFU/g | 1.8 × 10³ CFU/g | Pass |
| Coliforms | Plate count | ≤ 30 CFU/g | < 10 CFU/g | Pass |
| E. coli | Absence test | Negative / 25 g | Not Detected | Pass |
| Salmonella | Absence test | Negative / 25 g | Not Detected | Pass |
Production Process
