Table 1.

Chemical classification of carbohydrates (9–11) *Maltodextrins are an industrially hydrolyzed starch product.

Classification	Sub-group	Examples
Sugars (DP 1-2)	• Monosaccharides • Disaccharides • Sugars alcohols/polyols	• Glucose, fructose galactose, mannose, arabinose, xylose, erythrose, and others. • Sucrose, isomaltulose, lactose, maltose, trehalose, and others. • Sorbitol, mannitol, lactitol, xylitol, erythritol
Oligosaccharides (DP 3-9)	• Maltodextrins* (Malto-oligosaccharides) • Non-digestible oligosaccharides • Starch	• *Contain: glucose, maltose gluco-oligosaccharides • Raffinose, stachyose, fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), arabino-oligosaccharides (AXOS), and others. • Amylose, amylopectin, and modified starches.
Polysaccharides (DP >9)	• Non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) • Resistant starch (RS)	• Pectin, cellulose, hemicellulose, hydrocolloids (Arabic gum, guar gum, others). • RS type 1,2,3, and 4

During hydrolysis, a mixture of gluco-oligosaccharides, maltose, and glucose is formed. The quantity of glucose and maltose present in “maltodextrins” depends on the extent of hydrolysis (rate x time).