oligosaccharide

/ol'i goh sak"euh ruyd', -rid/, n. Chem.

any carbohydrate yielding few monosaccharides on hydrolysis, as two, three, or four.

[1925-30; OLIGO- + SACCHARIDE]

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Any carbohydrate with a few (between 3 and about 6 to 10) units of simple sugars (monosaccharides).

A wide variety of oligosaccharides are made by partially breaking down polysaccharides. Most of the few naturally occurring oligosaccharides are found in plants; those in animals tend to be combined in glycoproteins.

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▪ biochemistry

      any carbohydrate of from three to six units of simple sugars (monosaccharides). A large number of oligosaccharides have been prepared by partially breaking down more complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides). Most of the few naturally occurring oligosaccharides are found in plants. Raffinose, a trisaccharide found in many plants, consists of melibiose (galactose and glucose) and fructose. Another plant trisaccharide is gentianose. Maltotriose, a trisaccharide of glucose, occurs in some plants and in the blood of certain arthropods.

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