Oligosaccharides:
a. A carbohydrate polymer comprising of two to six monosaccharide molecules is called oligosaccharide.
b. They are linked together by glycosidic bond.
c. They are classified on the basis of monosaccharide units:
Disaccharides: These are the sugars containing two monosaccharide units and can be further hydrolysed into smaller components. E.g.: Sucrose, maltose, lactose, etc.
Trisaccharides: These contain three monomers. E.g. Raffmose.
Tetrasaccharides: These contain four monomers. E.g.: Stachyose.
Glycosidic bond:
a. Glycosidic bond is a covalent bond that forms a linkage between two monosaccharides by a dehydration reaction.
b. It is formed when a hydroxyl group of one sugar reacts with the anomeric carbon of the other.
c. Glycosidic bonds are readily hydrolyzed by acid but resist cleavage by base.
d. There are two types of glycosidic bonds: aglycosidic bond and P-glycosidic bond.
