What type of oligosaccharide is found in many vegetables?

In vegetables, the type of oligosaccharide commonly found is raffinose. Raffinose is a trisaccharide composed of galactose, glucose, and fructose and is naturally present in various vegetables such as beans, cabbage, broccoli, and whole grains. It is significant in the diet because it acts as a prebiotic, feeding beneficial gut bacteria. Raffinose is noteworthy because it is not easily digested in the human gastrointestinal tract, which can lead to gas production during fermentation by gut microbiota.

While galactooligosaccharides and fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are indeed present in some plant sources, FOS specifically refers to a group of oligosaccharides that are primarily fructose-based and more prevalent in certain fruits and root vegetables rather than the broad range of vegetables. Mannooligosaccharides are less common and are mainly derived from the breakdown of mannan polysaccharides found in plants, particularly in legumes. Therefore, while FOS does appear in vegetables, raffinose is more widely recognized in the context of a variety of common vegetables.