acarbose A group of complex carbohydrates (oligosaccharides) which inhibit the enzymes of starch and disaccharide digestion; used experimentally to reduce the digestion of starch. It has been marketed for use in association with weight‐reducing diet regimes as a ‘starch blocker’, with little evidence of efficacy.

acarbose (ass-ar-bohz) n. an oral hypoglycaemic drug that reduces the breakdown and absorption of carbohydrates in the intestine by blocking the action of an important enzyme (α-glucosidase) in this process. Trade name: Glucobay.