Panose

Panose is an oligosaccharide built from three glucose units, in which one glucose attaches via an alpha-1,6 linkage to maltose, itself an alpha-1,4-linked glucose pair. It forms during pullulan hydrolysis or through glycosyltransferase action on maltose. In carbohydrate chemistry, panose serves as a model branched trisaccharide for studying enzyme specificity and starch-degrading pathways. It occurs in small amounts in fermented foods and starch hydrolysates, where its presence reflects enzyme activity during processing. Analytical methods detect panose when characterizing syrups and fermentation products. Though not a major food ingredient itself, it helps researchers map the complex sugar profiles of processed starches.