xylose

American  

[zahy-lohs] / ˈzaɪ loʊs /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a colorless, crystalline pentose sugar, C 5 H 10 O 5 , derived from xylan, straw, corncobs, etc., by treating with heated dilute sulfuric acid, and dehydrating to furfural if stronger acid is used.

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xylose British  

/ ˈzaɪləʊz, -ləʊs /

noun

1. a white crystalline dextrorotatory sugar found in the form of xylan in wood and straw. It is extracted by hydrolysis with acids and used in dyeing, tanning, and in foods for diabetics. Formula: C 5 H 10 O 5

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xylose Scientific  

/ zī′lōs′ /

1. A white crystalline sugar extracted from wood, straw, and corn. It is used in dyeing and tanning and as a substitute for sucrose in diabetic diets. Chemical formula: C ₅ H ₁₀ O ₅ .

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Etymology

Origin of xylose

1890–95; < Greek xýl ( on ) wood + -ose ²

Explanation

Xylose is a type of sugar that's found in certain plants and is used to make artificial sweeteners. Xylose is notable because it tastes sweet but doesn't raise blood sugar levels. Xylose is the main ingredient in sugar substitutes like Xylitol. It's a sugar, strictly speaking (you can tell that from the -ose suffix, used in chemical names of sugars such as glucose and fructose). But unlike table sugar, or even the sugars in fruit, xylose doesn't cause a sharp spike in blood sugar when you consume it. In large quantities, however, xylose-sweetened foods can cause digestive upset. So take it easy on that sugar-free gum!

Example Sentences

The swashing effect begins when bacteria consume fermentable sugars such as glucose, maltose, or xylose.

From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2026

Glucose and xylose are the two most abundant sugars obtained from the breakdown of plant biomass such as agricultural wastes.

From Science Daily • Feb. 5, 2024

The researchers steadily decreased the amount of xylose available to the microbes as well.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 27, 2019

Perhaps this means that xylose isomerase decreases the availability of a glucose substrate needed for the synthesis of trehalose.

From Nature • Oct. 23, 2018

By relying only on the production of the purple colour, however, a mistake might possibly arise, owing to the fact that xylose gives a somewhat similar colour after standing for a few hours.

From Researches on Cellulose 1895-1900 by Cross, C. F.

Related Words

• carbohydrate