Chemistry - the formula to success is yours.
Any carbohydrate with a few (between 3 and about 6 to 10) units of simple sugars (monosaccharides). A wide variety of oligosaccharides are made by partially breaking down polysaccharides. Most of the few naturally occurring oligosaccharides are found in plants; those in animals tend to be combined in glycoproteins.
Find more information on oligosaccharide. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on oligosaccharide.