The ability of four exoglycosidases (beta -galactosidase, beta -glucosidase, alpha -glucosidase and invertase) from the termite Macrotermes subhyalinus to catalyse tranglycosylation reactions was tested using lactose, cellobiose, maltose and sucrose as glycosyl donors and 2-phenylethanol as glycosyl acceptor. The experimental conditions were optimized in relation to the time course of the reaction, pH and concentrations of glycosyl donor and acceptor. Whereas the hydrolytic activity was largely predominant over the transferase activity with beta -galactosidase and beta -glucosidase, the transglycosylation activity represented 68% with alpha -glucosidase. In addition, as demonstrated by the transglycosylation product formed, the hydrolysis of sucrose was catalysed by alpha -glucosidase and not by invertase. On the basis of this work, alpha -glucosidase from M. subhyalinus appears to be a valuable tool for the preparation of neoglycoconjugates.