maltose

C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁. A condensation dimer of two molecules of glucose which are recovered when it is hydrolyzed; also known as malt sugar. It is derived from the limited hydrolysis of starch, of which it is the repeating unit.

Maltose, or malt sugar, is a disaccharide formed from two units of glucose joined with an α(1→4) linkage. It is the second member of an important biochemical series of glucose chains. The addition of another glucose unit yields maltotriose, and a four glucose chain is maltotetrose, etc.

Maltose can be broken down into two glucose molecules by hydrolysis.

The production of maltose in germinating cereals, such as barley, is an important part of the brewing process. Metabolism of maltose by yeast during fermentation then leads to the production of ethanol and carbon dioxide.