A Simple Enzymatic Method for Quantitation of 2'-Fucosyllactose.

2'-Fucosyllactose (2'-FL) is one of the most important human milk oligosaccharides and has several health benefits for infants. The levels of 2'-FL in breast milk or samples from other sources can bequantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. However, this method cannot be used for simultaneous detection of the target compound in numerous samples. Here, we developed a simple method for quantifying 2'-FL in a microplate format. The method involves two steps: (1) release of -fucose from 2'-FL by α-(1-2,3,4,6)--fucosidase and (2) measurement of NADPH formed during the oxidation of -fucose by -fucose dehydrogenase. This method enables measurement of up to 5 g/l 2'-FL in 50 min using a 96-well microplate. The efficiency and simplicity of the proposed method make it suitable for the analyses of a large number of samples simultaneously.