Between the simple sugars (monosaccharides) and starches, oligosaccharides are a form of carbohydrate (polysaccharides). Oligosaccharides are carbohydrates which function as prebiotics, giving healthy bacteria in the stomach something to eat.
Oligosaccharides
Oligosaccharide is a saccharide with 2 to 10 identical or distinct monosaccharide units joined by a glycosidic bond. It is also described as oligose, straight – chain or branched – chain saccharide. Oligosaccharide and monosaccharide have similar physical and chemical properties, are both soluble in water, and also many oligosaccharides have sweet taste and so can be oxidised by Fehling solution. The sole difference is that following hydrolysis, oligosaccharides create less than 10 monosaccharide molecules.
A healthy gut flora balance can help to enhance the immune system and improve overall health.
Prebiotics like oligosaccharides aid in the growth and stability of good bacteria in the stomach.
Eat foods which are naturally high in oligosaccharides or foods that had oligosaccharides infused to them to receive oligosaccharides in your diet.
Types of Oligosaccharides
Disaccharides
Disaccharides are sugars which consists 2 monomeric units. Maltose, lactose and sucrose are among examples. Maltose is an enzyme that creates glucose + glucose.
Invertase creates fructose + glucose from sucrose (or cane sugar), and the lactase makes galactose + glucose from lactose (milk sugar).
Tri-saccharides
Tri-saccharides contain 3 monomers such as raffinose.
Tetra-saccharides
Tetra-saccharides contain 4 monomeric units such as stachyose.
Oligosaccharides With Examples
Oligosaccharides meaning
Any carbohydrate with 3 to 6 units of simple sugars is called an oligosaccharide. By partially breaking the more complex carbs, a huge number of oligosaccharides have been created (polysaccharides). Plants contain the majority of few naturally occurring oligosaccharides.
Examples of Oligosaccharides
Functional oligosaccharides include raffinose and stachyose, for example. The oligosaccharide is a trisaccharide made up of 3 monomers which are glucose, galactose, and fructose. Plants have a lot of storage oligosaccharides.
Fructo-oligosaccharides (also referred as oligofructose) are small chains of fructose residue which are found in a variety of plants, particularly the blue Agave, yacon, and Jerusalem artichoke. They’re employed as sweeteners as well as food additives in the food industry.
While fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, and the human milk oligosaccharides are derived from the plants, galactooligosaccharides and human milk oligosaccharides are obtained from dairy. Galacto – oligosaccharides are oligosaccharides composed of galactose molecules in a short chain. Human milk oligosaccharides are primarily made up of 2′ – fucosyllactose and are found in breast milk. Dietary oligosaccharides include fructo-oligosaccharides, galacto – oligosaccharides, and human milk oligosaccharides. They are included in the human diet because of their prebiotic properties.
Function of Oligosaccharides
Lowering the intestinal pH, inhibiting the growth of spoilage bacteria and intestinal Salmonella, regulating gastrointestinal function, inhibiting intestinal spoilage substances, changing stool characteristics, preventing constipation, and increasing vitamin synthesis all help to improve human immune function.
Proliferation
One of the advantages of functional oligosaccharides is that they improve micro – ecological environment in human body, allowing bactericidal and other beneficial bacteria to thrive.
Blood Lipid Metabolism
Functional oligosaccharides, which are comparable to water – soluble plant fibres, can help to enhance blood lipid metabolism and lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Conclusion
Oligosaccharides (also known as oligose) are a form of functional sugar that is relatively new. Since they integrate nutrition, diet therapy and health care to play a key role in boosting the immune system, functional oligosaccharides are typically lower in calories and include useful microorganisms. Food, health items, beverages, feed additives, medication, and other areas all employ them. Oligosaccharide syrup, for example, can sweeten and thicken foods while also giving a sticky gloss.
There are three types of Oligosaccharides which are as follows;
- Disaccharides
- Tri-saccharides
- Tetra-saccharides
The main functions of oligosaccharides are;
- It promotes Proliferation
- It enhances the Blood Lipid Metabolism