General Veterinary Biochemistry

MALTOSE

• Maltose is obtained as an intermediate in the hydrolysis of starch by enzymes known as amylases
• In maltose, one molecule of glucose is linked through the hydrogen group on the C – 1 carbon atom in a glycosidic bond to the hydroxyl group on the C– 4 of a second molecule of glucose
• The glycosidic linkage between the two glucose residues is designated as α (1  4) to specify that the anomeric carbon involved in the glycosidic bond has the α - configuration and that it is linked to the hydroxyl group attached on carbon 4 of the second sugar
• In the second sugar, hydroxyl group can exist in either the α or β configuration. This free anomeric hydroxyl group confers the property of mutarotation on maltose. The free anomeric carbon can act as a reducing agent and the disaccharide is a reducing disaccharide