Pentosans are polymers composed of pentoses. In contrast to cellulose, which is composed of hexose (glucose) monomers, pentosans are derived from five-carbon sugars such as xylose. Pentosan-rich biomass is the precursor to furfural.[1]
The pentosan content has been determined for many natural materials:[1]
Pentosans can act as heparinoids, glycosaminoglycans which are derivatives of heparin.
They can have an influence on bread quality.[3][4]
The dictionary definition of pentosan at Wiktionary
