What Is Maltotriose?

Maltotriose is composed of three glucose molecules linked by α-1,4 glycosidic bonds, which is an intermediate product in the digestion process of starch. In the small intestine, maltotriose is hydrolyzed by maltase into glucose, which is then absorbed by intestinal cells and enters the blood circulation to provide energy to body cells. Compared with other carbohydrates, maltotriose is digested and absorbed slowly, resulting in a slower rise in blood sugar, which is especially beneficial for diabetics or people who need to control blood sugar. In addition, maltotriose in the colon can become a preferential nutrient source for certain probiotics (for example lactic acid bacteria) in the intestine, which helps maintain the balance and health of the intestinal microbiota.

Fig.1 The structure of maltotriose. (Wikipedia)

Maltotriose Analysis Service at CD BioGlyco

• High-performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
  HPLC detects the content of multiple components in sugar compounds at the same time, which is a simple, fast, and precise method. It is often combined with different types of detectors for assay determination.
  
  • Refractive index detector (RID): As a routine detection method, it accurately analyzes maltotriose and other sugar compounds, which has advantages for the determination of sugars.
  • Evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD): The method is more sensitive than the RID when determining the content of maltotriose, and it is easy to operate and has good repeatability.
• High-performance Anion Exchange Chromatography (HPAED)
  Ion-exchange resins usually do not require organic solvents for example methanol or acetonitrile, but only pure water or dilute salt solution to determine the content of maltotriose, which are often used in combination with pulsed amperometric detectors (PAD).
• Capillary Electrophoresis (CE)
  It is also applied to determine the content of maltotriose. Its mechanism is the separation of ionic species by charge, friction, and hydrodynamic radius, which is an alternative to HPLC.
• Other Methods
  Moreover, some new technologies, for example, biosensing methods, and chromatography-mass spectrometry are also applied to determine the content of maltotriose in complex matrices.

Fig.2 Maltotriose analysis service. (CD BioGlyco)

Publication

Paper Title: Characterisation of brewpub beer carbohydrates using high-performance anion exchange chromatography coupled with pulsed amperometric detection

Technology: HPAED-PAD

Journal: Food Chemistry

IF: 9.231

Published: 2014

Results: The HPAEC-PAD method was applied in the determination of maltotriose and other carbohydrates. The sample does not need to be pretreated before injection, and the above-mentioned oligosaccharides were determined in a short time under the condition of gradient elution and a single chromatographic run. The results showed that all compounds had good linearity under the current separation conditions (Fig.3), and the accuracy and repeatability of the method were good, which confirmed that HPAEC-PAD is a very sensitive technique for carbohydrate analysis.

Fig.3 Chromatogram of a commercial beer. (Arfelli & Sartini, 2014)

Applications

• Dietary fiber supplement: Maltotriose increases the fiber content of food, promotes intestinal health, and improves digestive system function.
• Brewing industry: Maltotriose is an important carbon source for fermenting microorganisms, which affects the taste, alcohol content, and fermentation characteristics of beer by controlling the content and utilization of maltotriose.
• Advanced glycation reaction: Maltotriose participates in the chemical modification and functional improvement of sugars as a substrate. Through suitable reaction conditions and catalysts, maltotriose is transformed into compounds with specific structures and functions, which is applied in the fields of medicine and biomedicine.

Advantages

• CD BioGlyco has appropriate laboratory facilities and environment to ensure the stability and controllability of the maltotriose analysis process.
• CD BioGlyco responds to client needs promptly and provides high-precision and efficient maltotriose analysis.
• Our scientists accurately interpret maltotriose analysis results and provide clear, detailed reports to help clients understand and apply the analysis data.

CD BioGlyco provides first-class maltotriose analysis services for clients. If you are interested in our services, we will be happy to provide you with the information and support you need. Please feel free to contact us as soon as possible.

References:

1. Arfelli, G.; Sartini, E. Characterisation of brewpub beer carbohydrates using high-performance anion exchange chromatography coupled with pulsed amperometric detection. Food Chemistry. 2014, 142: 152-158.
2. Monošík, R.; et al. Monitoring of monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, ethanol, and glycerol during wort fermentation by biosensors, HPLC, and spectrophotometry. Food Chemistry. 2013, 138(1): 220-226.