Sucrose (table sugar) is a very common oligosaccharide.
An oligosaccharide is a carbohydrate that is composed of a small amount of monosaccharides . The term is used in the field of biochemistry .
Complementary concepts
To move forward with the definition of oligosaccharide, it is necessary to first focus on several notions. We said that an oligosaccharide is a carbohydrate (an element that is also mentioned as carbohydrate or carbohydrate ). Therefore, it is made up of oxygen , hydrogen and carbon , with a ratio of two to one in the case of the first two elements.
This carbohydrate also has a limited level of monosaccharides: sugars that cannot be broken down into simpler ones through hydrolysis . The hydrolysis process, or hydrolysis, refers to the unfolding of a molecule through the intervention of water .
Oligosaccharides, specifically, are formed from the union of between two and ten monosaccharides . When they have three or more monosaccharides, they are usually attached to lipids or proteins .
Classification
It is possible to recognize different classes of oligosaccharides. The most common are disaccharides , which arise from the bond between two monosaccharides with an ether bond , thus losing a water molecule.
A very popular disaccharide is sucrose , also called common sugar or table sugar . This oligosaccharide is made up of fructose and glucose . It is important to mention that this is not a reducing agent, that is, it cannot give electrons to an oxidizing agent in the framework of a reduction-oxidation reaction.
Another of the best-known disaccharides is lactose , which is formed when glucose and galactose join. It is also known as milk sugar and, unlike sucrose, it is a reducing agent. Finally we can mention maltose , cellobiose , trehalose and isomaltose , which are formed when two glucoses join and can vary depending on said union. With the exception of trehalose, all are reducing agents.
If we focus on trisaccharides (oligosaccharides with three monosaccharides), we find raffinose . This carbohydrate, present in chickpeas, soybeans (soybeans) and other legume plants, consists of galactose , fructose and glucose .
Benefits for children
We can find oligosaccharides in a wide variety of vegetables , such as onion, garlic, leek, artichoke and asparagus, and fruits such as banana and tomato. All this without leaving aside whole wheat, among other cereals that include them. If we add the ease with which we can access them to the fact that they are beneficial for the little ones, we understand that these are carbohydrates of great importance for health.
First of all, we can say that they offer a good contribution of fiber , thanks to which:
* risk factors for certain types of cancer may decrease;
* improves digestion, prevents constipation and regulates intestinal motility;
* The risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and diabetes is reduced.
On the other hand we have fructo-oligosaccharides , a variety that is sometimes referred to as oligofructose . These are compounds rich in soluble fiber and fructose, which are part of the so-called prebiotics , which have the following benefits:
Banana is one of the fruits that contain oligosaccharides.
* strengthen the immune system and block attacks by pathogenic microorganisms;
* promote good intestinal transit;
* improve the intestinal absorption of elements such as magnesium and calcium, among others that are essential for good health;
* maintain glucose and cholesterol levels at favorable levels.
Finally, we must highlight the importance of oligosaccharides in the bacterial ecosystem , since thanks to their maintenance the organism can be effectively protected from invasions by pathogenic microorganisms. They present them with a hostile environment, reducing their chances of entering and causing an infection.