Maltose

Maltose (CAS No.: 69-79-4) is a disaccharide composed of two glucose molecules linked by an α(1-4) bond. It is widely found in plants, yeast, and bacteria, where it participates in carbon source storage and metabolism as an endogenous metabolite. In biomedical research, maltose is considered a key metabolite that participates in metabolic pathways as a major form during transient starch degradation in chloroplasts at night, carbon export, and sucrose biosynthesis. As a reducing sugar, maltose plays an important role in regulating osmotic pressure and providing antioxidant properties, and is essential for cellular processes in fungi and bacteria. In microbial culture systems, maltose supports the growth of yeast and bacteria as a versatile carbon source and participates in the biochemical pathway of α-glucosidase, being converted into isomaltose. Although its specific in vitro activity levels, such as IC50 or EC50, have not been widely documented, the activity of maltose is generally evaluated in the nanomolar to micromolar range. This compound is commonly used in cellular and animal models to explore metabolic pathways and stress response dynamics, with the concentrations used in experiments typically depending on the specific study design and research objectives, making it important in biochemical and pharmacological research.