Ready detection of small amounts of lactulose in dairy products by thin-layer chromatography

Summary Ready detection of lactulose in milk and in mixtures with other sugars is achieved by diluting the sample ten times with acetone and successive thin-layer chromatographic separation on silica gel-boric acid, developed with acetonitrile: water 5020. The method allows detection of up to 0.02% lactulose on total carbohydrates and permits a semi-quantitative estimation of lactulose in milk.