hemicellulose

plural hemicelluloses

1. biochemistryA mixture of several plant polysaccharides, of smaller molecular weight than cellulose, that are soluble in dilute alkali; they are involved in the manufacture of paper, and are used in the production of furfural and ethanol.

   1 more example

   The changes in texture that occur during ripening and cooking result from changes in the cell-wall materials, in particular the cement carbohydrates. One group is the hemicelluloses, which form strengthening cross-links between celluloses. They are built up from glucose and xylose sugars, and can be partly dissolved and removed from cell walls during cooking.

   2004, Harold McGee, chapter 5, in On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, Scribner, →ISBN