2.

13 Oligosaccharides
Within complex carbohydrates, there are oligosaccharides and polysaccharides. Oligosaccharides (oligo means few) are composed of 3-10 sugar units and polysaccharides contain greater than 10 sugar units.

Figure 2.131 Overview of carbohydrates Raffinose and stachyose are the most common oligosaccharides. They are found in legumes, onions, broccoli, cabbage, and whole wheat1. The link below shows the raffinose and stachyose content of some plant foods. Web Link Raffinose and stachyose content of selected plant foods The structures of the two oligosaccharides are shown below.

Figure 2.132 Structure of raffinose2

Figure 2.133 Structure of stachyose3 Our digestive system lacks the enzymes necessary to digest these alpha-1,6 glycosidic bonds found in oligosaccharides. As a result, the oligosaccharides are not digested and reach the colon where they are fermented by the bacteria there. Gas is produced as a byproduct of this bacteria fermentation that can lead to flatulence. To combat this problem, Beano is a popular product that contains an enzyme (alpha-galactosidase) to break down oligosaccharides, thereby preventing them from being used to produce gas. The video link below describes how Beano works. Web Link (Video) Beano's University of Gas: Lesson 2 References & Links
1. Byrd-Bredbenner C, Moe G, Beshgetoor D, Berning J. (2009) Wardlaw's perspectives in nutrition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Raffinose.png 3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stachyose.png

Videos
Raffinose and stachyose content of foods - http://books.google.com/books? id=LTGFV2NOySYC&pg=PA374&lpg=PA374&dq=raffinose+and+stachyose+content+of+ve getables&source=bl&ots=X4Dr7jWmwL&sig=CJFvhAIysSZCP2SOy_MqhfoVYQQ&hl=en&ei=T SRITdTfLNH0gAfB2MX_BQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CD0Q6AEwB Q#v=onepage&q=raffinose%20and%20stachyose%20content%20of%20vegetables&f=false Beano's University of Gas - http://www.beanogas.com/UofGas.aspx