Used primarily in biochemical research as a model compound for studying carbohydrate metabolism and enzymatic hydrolysis of oligosaccharides. It serves as a substrate for testing the activity of glycosidases and helps in understanding the mechanisms of sugar transport in microbial and plant systems. Due to its structural specificity, it is also employed in the development and calibration of analytical methods such as HPLC and mass spectrometry for carbohydrate analysis.