This MedLibrary.org supplementary page on Maltose is provided directly from the open source Wikipedia as a service to our readers. Please see the note below on authorship of this content, as well as the Wikipedia usage guidelines. To search for other content from our encyclopedia supplement, please use the form below:
Related Sponsors
| Maltose | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| IUPAC name | (2R,3S,4S,5R,6R)-2-(Hydroxymethyl)-6-[(2R,3S,4R,5R,6R)-4,5,6-trihydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-3-yl]oxyoxane-3,4,5-triol |
| Other names | 4-O-α-D-Glucopyranosyl-D-glucose |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | [69-79-4] |
| PubChem | |
| SMILES |
|
| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | C12H22O11 |
| Molar mass | 342.30 g/mol |
| Density | 1.54 g/cm3 [1] |
| Melting point |
102-103 °C (monohydrate) |
| Solubility in water | 1.080 g/mL (20 °C)[1] |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references |
|
Maltose, or malt sugar, is a disaccharide formed from two units of glucose joined with an α(1→4) linkage. It is the second member of an important biochemical series of glucose chains. The addition of another glucose unit yields maltotriose; further additions will produce dextrins (also called maltodextrins) and eventually starch.
Maltose can be broken down into two glucose molecules by hydrolysis. In living organisms, the enzyme maltase can achieve this very rapidly. In the laboratory, heating with a strong acid for several minutes will produce the same result.
The production of maltose from germinating cereals, such as barley, is an important part of the brewing process. When barley is malted, it is brought into a condition in which the concentration of maltose-producing amylases has been maximized. Mashing is the process by which these amylases convert the cereal's starches into maltose. Metabolism of maltose by yeast during fermentation then leads to the production of ethanol and carbon dioxide.
Contents |
Maltose as food
Plain maltose has a sweet taste, about half as sweet as glucose and about one-fifth as sweet as fructose.
In Southern China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, maltose is a common ingredient in confectionery. The most common way for them to consume is to put a layer of maltose inside two pieces of biscuits (usually cracker).
See also
References
External links
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 23 June 2008, at 02:55.
Wikipedia Authorship and Review
Wikipedia content provided here is not reviewed directly by MedLibrary.org. Wikipedia content is authored by an open community of volunteers and is not produced by or in any way affiliated with MedLibrary.org.
Wikipedia Usage Guidelines
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Maltose".
The URL for this specific entry is:
All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.