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.