Britannica Sources used in this answer

Which enzymes break down lactose, maltose, sucrose, and trehalose in the small intestine?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

A biochemical flowchart shows the metabolic pathways for carbohydrate utilization, including glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. The diagram traces the conversion of glucose, fructose, and glycerol through various intermediates, leading to energy production, carbon dioxide release, and biosynthesis of amino acids and porphyrins. Key steps and branches are labeled, with colored boxes highlighting biosynthetic outputs. — Carbohydrate Pathways for the utilization of carbohydrates.

In the human small intestine, the breakdown of disaccharides into absorbable monosaccharides is performed by specific enzymes located in the brush border of the epithelial enterocytes. These enzymes are:1

Lactase: Catalyzes the hydrolysis of lactose into glucose and galactose.21
Maltase: Catalyzes the hydrolysis of maltose into glucose.134
Sucrase: Catalyzes the hydrolysis of sucrose into glucose and fructose.15
Trehalase: Catalyzes the hydrolysis of trehalose.1