What is "tetrasaccharide"

n. (context carbohydrate English) Any oligosaccharide having four sugar residues

n. any of a variety of carbohydrates that yield four monosaccharide molecules on complete hydrolysis

A tetrasaccharide is a carbohydrate which gives upon hydrolysis four molecules of the same or different monosaccharides. For example, stachyose upon hydrolysis gives one molecule each of glucose and fructose and two molecules of galactose. The general formula of a tetrasaccharide is typically CHO.

Structure and occurrence of trisaccharides

Name

chemical compound

function/occur

Lychnose (1-α-Galactosyl- raffinose)

O-α-D-Galp-(1→6)-O-α-D-Glup-(1→2)-O-β-D-Fruf-(1→1)-O-α-D-Galp

Maltotetraose

O-α-D-Glcp-(1→4)-O-α-D-Glcp-(1→4)-O-α-D-Glcp-(1→4)-D-Glcp

in Starchsyrup

Nigerotetraose

O-α-D-Glcp-(1→3)-O-α-D-Glcp-(1→3)-O-α-D-Glcp-(1→3)-D-Glcp

Nystose (β-D-Fructosyl-1-kestose)

O-α-D-Glcp-(1→2)-β-D-Fruf-(1→2)-β-D-Fruf-(1→2)-β-D-Fruf

Sesamose

O-α-D-Galp-(1→6)-O-α-D-Galp-(1→6)-O-β-D-Fruf-(2→1)-O-α-D-Glcp

Stachyose

O-α-D-Galp-(1→6)-O-α-D-Galp-(1→6)-O-α-D-Glcp-(1→2)-β-D-Fruf

widespread in plants ( artichoke, soybean)