Malto-oligosaccharide　alcohols　(MOSA)　are　one　of　the　most　important　sugar　alcohols　widely　used　as　sweetener　in　food,　cosmetic,　and　pharmaceutical　industries　in　recent　years,　of　which　maltotriitol-rich　MOSA　is　much　more　recognized.　With　the　aim　of　preparing　maltotriitol-rich　MOSA　from　starch,　a　novel　process　was　developed　and　optimized.　Starch　was　first　liquefied　with　thermostable　Bacillus　licheniformis　alpha-amylase.　The　liquefied　starch　was　then　saccharified　to　yield　maltotriose-rich　malto-oligosaccharides　under　the　cooperative　actions　of　Bacillus　naganoensis　pullulanase,　Bacillus　amyloliquefaciens　alpha-amylase,　and　barley　bran　beta-amylase.　The　maltotriitol-rich　MOSA　was　finally　prepared　by　chemical　hydrogenation.　Under　the　optimized　conditions,　maltotriitol-rich　MOSA　containing　42.18%　maltotriitol　was　obtained　with　a　conversion　rate　of　104.57%　from　starch.　The　process　can　be　employed　for　large-scale　preparation　of　maltotriitol-rich　MOSA,　and　a　further　modification　of　the　process　can　lead　to　the　formulation　of　various　types　of　MOSA　with　different　percentages　of　components　of　sugar　alcohols.　(C)　2016　Elsevier　Ltd.　All　rights　reserved.