What Is Raffinose and Stachyose?

The raffinose family of oligosaccharides are α-galactosyl derivatives of sucrose. The most common are the trisaccharide raffinose (composed of galactose, fructose, and glucose) and the tetrasaccharide stachyose. These oligosaccharides are found in sugar beet molasses and whole grains.

What is Stachyose made of?

Stachyose is a tetrasaccharide consisting of two α-D-galactose units, one α-D-glucose unit, and one β-D-fructose unit sequentially linked as gal(α1→6)gal(α1→6)glc(α1↔2β)fru.

What is raffinose sugar?

Raffinose is a trisaccharide in which glucose acts as a monosaccharide bridge between galactose and fructose. It has both α and β glycosidic bonds and can therefore be hydrolyzed to d-galactose and sucrose via enzymes with α-glycosidic activity, and to melibiose and d-fructose via enzymes with β-glycosidic activity.