Mannosides
Mannosides are a class of carbohydrates that contain mannose as the monosaccharide unit. Mannose is an epimer of glucose, meaning it differs in the configuration at the second carbon atom. Mannosides can exist in various forms, including monosaccharides (mannose itself), disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides.
In biological systems, mannosides play important roles. Mannose is a component of many glycoproteins, which are
Oligosaccharides containing mannose, such as mannooligosaccharides (MOS), have gained attention for their potential prebiotic properties. These
Polysaccharides composed of mannose units, like mannan, are also found in nature, particularly in the cell walls