| Maltose, the disaccharide obtained by enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of starch,
consists of two D-glucopyranoses joined by a 1,4'-beta-glycoside bond. Both maltose and cellobiose are reducing sugars because the anomeric carbons on the right-hand sugar are part of a hemiacetal.
Maltose, a 1,4'-beta-glycoside |
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| Despite the similarities of their structures, cellobiose and maltose are dramatically different biologically. Cellobiose cannot be digested by humans and cannot be fermented by yeast. Maltose, however, is digested without difficulty and is fermented readily. | |
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Other "Molecules of the Month" Copyright Karl Harrison 1996.
