Trehalase Deficiency

Trehalose is a nonreducing disaccharide extracted from insect larvae called “trehala manna” by Berthelot in 1858 and named trehalose. Trehalose is found in plants and many other organisms but not in mammals. In the human diet, mushrooms and baker’s yeast contain trehalose. This disaccharide’s physicochemical properties allow it to protect foods, cosmetics, cells, etc., against dehydration at room temperature. Trehalose is found in manufactured food products, medications, and cosmetics. For digestion and absorption, trehalose should be broken down into glucose by an enzyme from the β-galactosidase family called trehalase (Richards et al. 2002). Individuals with trehalase deficiency are, therefore, unable to break down trehalose. After going through various investigations, it has been found that this condition is infrequent in the general population; it is more common in Greenland natives, where it is reported in 8% of the population.