Definition of lactulose in English:
lactulose
noun ˈlaktjʊləʊzˈlakt(y)əˌlōs
mass nounChemistry A synthetic sugar with laxative properties. It is a disaccharide consisting of glucose and fructose units.
Example sentencesExamples
- The most effective daily treatments for opioid-induced constipation are senna, senna combined with a stool softener, Phillips' Milk of Magnesia (magnesium hydroxide) or lactulose.
- In addition, unabsorbed lactose has an osmotic effect not unlike that of lactulose, a synthetic laxative, increasing the amount of fluid retained in the bowel.
- Osmotic laxatives such as lactulose are effective alternatives to soften hard stools.
- There may also be a qualitative alteration in bacterial pathogenicity that is relevant to the development of urinary tract infections from using lactulose as an alternative substrate.
- Patients with encephalopathy require a low-protein diet and enough lactulose to produce three or four bowel movements daily.
Origin
1930s: from lacto- 'of milk', perhaps on the pattern of cellulose.