Common Carbohydrates

Name Derivation of name and Source

Monosaccharide’s
Common Polysaccharides
Glucose From Greek word for sweet wine; grape sugar, blood sugar, dextrose.
Name Source
Starch
Galactose Plants store glucose as the polysaccharide starch.
Greek word for milk--"galact", found as a component Theofcereal grains
lactose (wheat, rice, corn, oats,
in milk.
barley) as well as tubers such as potatoes are rich in starch.
Latin word for fruit--"fructus", also known as levulose,
Fructose
Cellulose The major component in the rigid cell walls in plants is cellulose and is a linear polysaccharide
found in fruits and honey; sweetest sugar.
polymer with many glucose monosaccharide units.
Ribose Ribose and Deoxyribose are found in the backbone structure of RNA and DNA, respectively.
Glycogen This is the storage form of glucose in animals and humans which is analogous to the starch in
plants. Disaccharides
Glycogen is synthesized
- contain and
two stored mainly in the liver and the muscles.
monosaccharides
French word for sugar--"sucre", a disaccharide containing glucose and fructose; table sugar,
Sucrose
cane sugar, beet sugar.

Lactose Latin word for milk--"lact"; a disaccharide found in milk containing glucose and galactose.

French word for "malt"; a disaccharide containing two units of glucose; found in germinating
Maltose
grains, used to make beer.

A carbohydrate is an organic compound which has the empirical formula Cm(H2O)n; that is, consists only of carbon, hydrogen
and oxygen, with the hydrogen and oxygen in a 2:1 atom ratio (as in water). Carbohydrates can be viewed as hydrates of carbon,
hence their name. Structurally however, it is more accurate to view them as polyhydroxy aldehydes and ketones.

The term is most common in biochemistry, where it is a synonym of saccharide. The carbohydrates (saccharides) are divided
into four chemical groupings: monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. In general, the
monosaccharides and disaccharides, which are smaller (lower molecular weight) carbohydrates, are commonly referred to as
sugars.[1] The word saccharide comes from the Greek word σάκχαρον (sákkharon), meaning "sugar". While the scientific
nomenclature of carbohydrates is complex, the names of the monosaccharides and disaccharides very often end in the suffix -ose.
For example, blood sugar is the monosaccharide glucose, table sugar is the disaccharide sucrose, and milk sugar is the
disaccharide lactose (see illustration).

Carbohydrates perform numerous roles in living things. Polysaccharides serve for the storage of energy (e.g., starch and
glycogen) and as structural components (e.g., cellulose in plants and chitin in arthropods). The 5-carbon monosaccharide ribose is
an important component of coenzymes (e.g., ATP, FAD, and NAD) and the backbone of the genetic molecule known as RNA.
The related deoxyribose is a component of DNA. Saccharides and their derivatives include many other important biomolecules
that play key roles in the immune system, fertilization, preventing pathogenesis, blood clotting, and development.[2]

In food science and in many informal contexts, the term carbohydrate often means any food that is particularly rich in the
complex carbohydrate starch (such as cereals, bread and pasta) or simple carbohydrates, such as sugar (found in candy, jams and
desserts).
Carbohydrates consist of the elements carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) with a ratio of
hydrogen twice that of carbon and oxygen. Carbohydrates include sugars, starches, cellulose and
many other compounds found in living organisms. In their basic form, carbohydrates are simple sugars
or monosaccharides. These simple sugars can combine with each other to form more complex
carbohydrates. The combination of two simple sugars is a disaccharide. Carbohydrates consisting of
two to ten simple sugars are called oligosaccharides, and those with a larger number are called
polysaccharides.

Sugars

Sugars are white crystalline carbohydrates that are soluble in water and generally have a sweet taste.

Many saccharide structures differ only in the orientation of the hydroxyl groups (-OH). This slight structural difference makes a
big difference in the biochemical properties, organoleptic properties (e.g., taste), and in the physical properties such as melting
point and Specific Rotation (how polarized light is distorted). A chain-form monosaccharide that has a carbonyl group (C=O) on
an end carbon forming an aldehyde group (-CHO) is classified as an aldose. When the carbonyl group is on an inner atom
forming a ketone, it is classified as a ketose.Tetroses

D-Erythrose D-Threose

Pentoses

D-Ribose D-Arabinose D-Xylose D-Lyxose

The ring form of ribose is a component of ribonucleic acid (RNA). Deoxyribose, which is missing an oxygen at position 2, is a
component of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). In nucleic acids, the hydroxyl group attached to carbon number 1 is replaced with
nucleotide bases.

Ribose Deoxyribose
Hexoses

Hexoses, such as the ones illustrated here, have the molecular formula C6H12O6. German chemist Emil Fischer (1852-1919)
identified the stereoisomers for these aldohexoses in 1894. He received the 1902 Nobel Prize for chemistry for his work.

D-Allose D-Altrose D-Glucose D-Mannose

D-Gulose D-Idose D-Galactose D-Talose

Structures that have opposite configurations of a hydroxyl group at only one position, such as glucose and mannose, are called
epimers. Glucose, also called dextrose, is the most widely distributed sugar in the plant and animal kingdoms and it is the sugar
present in blood as "blood sugar". The chain form of glucose is a polyhydric aldehyde, meaning that it has multiple hydroxyl
groups and an aldehyde group. Fructose, also called levulose or "fruit sugar", is shown here in the chain and ring forms. The
relationship between the chain and the ring forms of the sugars is discussed below. Fructose and glucose are the main
carbohydrate constituents of honey.

D-Tagatose
D-Fructose Fructose Galactose Mannose
(a ketose)

Heptoses
Sedoheptulose has the same structure as fructose, but it has one extra carbon.
 D-Sedoheptulose

Chain and Ring forms

Many simple sugars can exist in a chain form or a ring form, as illustrated by the hexoses above. The ring form is favored in
aqueous solutions, and the mechanism of ring formation is similar for most sugars. The glucose ring form is created when the
oxygen on carbon number 5 links with the carbon comprising the carbonyl group (carbon number 1) and transfers its hydrogen to
the carbonyl oxygen to create a hydroxyl group. The rearrangement produces alpha glucose when the hydroxyl group is on the
opposite side of the -CH2OH group, or beta glucose when the hydroxyl group is on the same side as the -CH2OH group.
Isomers, such as these, which differ only in their configuration about their carbonyl carbon atom are called anomers. The little D
in the name derives from the fact that natural glucose is dextrorotary, i.e., it rotates polarized light to the right, but it now denotes
a specific configuration. Monosaccharides forming a five-sided ring, like ribose, are called furanoses. Those forming six-sided
rings, like glucose, are called pyranoses.

D-Glucose
α-D-Glucose β-D-Glucose Cyclation of Glucose
(an aldose)

Stereochemistry

Saccharides with identical functional groups but with different spatial configurations have different chemical and biological
properties. Stereochemisty is the study of the arrangement of atoms in three-dimensional space. Stereoisomers are compounds in
which the atoms are linked in the same order but differ in their spatial arrangement. Compounds that are mirror images of each
other but are not identical, comparable to left and right shoes, are called enantiomers. The following structures illustrate the
difference between β-D-Glucose and β-L-Glucose. Identical molecules can be made to correspond to each other by flipping and
rotating. However, enantiomers cannot be made to correspond to their mirror images by flipping and rotating. Glucose is
sometimes illustrated as a "chair form" because it is a more accurate representation of the bond angles of the molecule. The
"boat" form of glucose is unstable.
 β-D-Glucose
β-D-Glucose β-L-Glucose
(chair form)

β-D-Glucose
β-D-Glucose β-L-Glucose
(boat form)

Sugar Alcohols, Amino Sugars, and Uronic Acids

Sugars may be modified by natural or laboratory processes into compounds that retain the basic configuration of saccharides, but
have different functional groups. Sugar alcohols, also known as polyols, polyhydric alcohols, or polyalcohols, are the
hydrogenated forms of the aldoses or ketoses. For example, glucitol, also known as sorbitol, has the same linear structure as the
chain form of glucose, but the aldehyde (-CHO) group is replaced with a -CH2OH group. Other common sugar alcohols include
the monosaccharides erythritol and xylitol and the disaccharides lactitol and maltitol. Sugar alcohols have about half the calories
of sugars and are frequently used in low-calorie or "sugar-free" products.

Xylitol, which has the hydroxyl groups oriented like xylose, is a very common ingredient in "sugar-free" candies and gums
because it is approximately as sweet as sucrose, but contains 40% less food energy. Although this sugar alcohol appears to be
safe for humans, xylitol in relatively small doses can cause seizures, liver failure, and death in dogs.

Amino sugars or aminosaccharides replace a hydroxyl group with an amino (-NH2) group. Glucosamine is an amino sugar used
to treat cartilage damage and reduce the pain and progression of arthritis.

Uronic acids have a carboxyl group (-COOH) on the carbon that is not part of the ring. Their names retain the root of the
monosaccharides, but the -ose sugar suffix is changed to -uronic acid. For example, galacturonic acid has the same configuration
as galactose, and the structure of glucuronic acid corresponds to glucose.
Disaccharides consist of two simple sugars
Disaccharide descriptions and components

Disaccha Component
Description
ride monosaccharides

sucrose common table sugar glucose 1α→2 fructose

product of starch
maltose glucose 1α→4 glucose
hydrolysis

trehalose found in fungi glucose 1α→1 glucose

lactose main sugar in milk galactose 1β→4 glucose

melibiose found in legumes galactose 1α→6 glucose

Sucrose Lactose Maltose

Sucrose, also called saccharose, is ordinary table sugar refined from sugar cane or sugar beets. It is the main ingredient in
turbinado sugar, evaporated or dried cane juice, brown sugar, and confectioner's sugar. Lactose has a molecular structure
consisting of galactose and glucose. It is of interest because it is associated with lactose intolerance which is the intestinal
distress caused by a deficiency of lactase, an intestinal enzyme needed to absorb and digest lactose in milk. Undigested lactose
ferments in the colon and causes abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and diarrhea. Yogurt does not cause these problems because
lactose is consumed by the bacteria that transform milk into yogurt.

Maltose consists of two α-D-glucose molecules with the alpha bond at carbon 1 of one molecule attached to the oxygen at
carbon 4 of the second molecule. This is called a 1α→4 glycosidic linkage. Trehalose has two α-D-glucose molecules connected
through carbon number one in a 1α→1 linkage. Cellobiose is a disaccharide consisting of two β-D-glucose molecules that have a
1β→4 linkage as in cellulose. Cellobiose has no taste, whereas maltose and trehalose are about one-third as sweet as sucrose.

Trisaccharides
Raffinose, also called melitose, is a trisaccharide that is widely found in legumes and cruciferous vegetables, including beans,
peas, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and broccoli. It consists of galactose connected to sucrose via a 1α→6 glycosidic linkage.
Humans cannot digest saccharides with this linkage and the saccharides are fermented in the large intestine by gas-producing

bacteria. Tablets containing the enzyme alpha-galactosidase, such as Beano, are frequently used as digestive aids to prevent gas
and bloating. The enzyme is derived from selected strains of the food grade fungus Aspergillus niger.

Raffinose

Polysaccharides are polymers of simple sugars

Many polysaccharides, unlike sugars, are insoluble in water. Dietary fiber includes polysaccharides and oligosaccharides that are
resistant to digestion and absorption in the human small intestine but which are completely or partially fermented by
microorganisms in the large intestine. The polysaccharides described below play important roles in nutrition, biology, or food
preparation.

Starch

Starch is the major form of stored carbohydrate in plants. Starch is composed of a mixture of two substances: amylose, an
essentially linear polysaccharide, and amylopectin, a highly branched polysaccharide. Both forms of starch are polymers of α-D-
Glucose. Natural starches contain 10-20% amylose and 80-90% amylopectin. Amylose forms a colloidal dispersion in hot water
(which helps to thicken gravies) whereas amylopectin is completely insoluble.

• Amylose molecules consist typically of 200 to 20,000 glucose units which form a helix as a
result of the bond angles between the glucose units.

Amylose

•
• Amylopectin differs from amylose in being highly branched. Short side chains of about 30
glucose units are attached with 1α→6 linkages approximately every twenty to thirty glucose
units along the chain. Amylopectin molecules may contain up to two million glucose units.
 Amylopectin

The side branching chains are clustered together within the amylopectin molecule

Starches are transformed into many commercial products by hydrolysis using acids or enzymes as catalysts. Hydrolysis is a
chemical reaction in which water is used to break long polysaccharide chains into smaller chains or into simple carbohydrates.
The resulting products are assigned a Dextrose Equivalent (DE) value which is related to the degree of hydrolysis. A DE value of
100 corresponds to completely hydrolyzed starch, which is pure glucose (dextrose). Dextrins are a group of low-molecular-
weight carbohydrates produced by the hydrolysis of starch. Dextrins are mixtures of polymers of D-glucose units linked by
1α→4 or 1α→6 glycosidic bonds. Maltodextrin is partially hydrolyzed starch that is not sweet and has a DE value less than 20.
Syrups, such as corn syrup made from corn starch, have DE values from 20 to 91. Commercial dextrose has DE values from 92
to 99. Corn syrup solids, which may be labeled as soluble corn fiber or resistant maltodextrin, are mildly sweet semi-
crystalline or powdery amorphous products with DEs from 20 to 36 made by drying corn syrup in a vacuum or in spray driers.
Resistant maltodextrin or soluble corn fiber are not broken down in the digestive system, but they are partially fermented by
colonic bacteria thus providing only 2 Calories per gram instead of the 4 Calories per gram in corn syrup. High Fructose Corn
Syrup (HFCS), commonly used to sweeten soft drinks, is made by treating corn syrup with enzymes to convert a portion of the
glucose into fructose. Commercial HFCS contains from 42% to 55% fructose, with the remaining percentage being mainly
glucose. There is an effort underway to rename High Fructose Corn Syrup as Corn Sugar because of the negative public
perception that HFCS contributes to obesity. Modified starch is starch that has been changed by mechanical processes or
chemical treatments to stabilize starch gels made with hot water. Without modification, gelled starch-water mixtures lose
viscosity or become rubbery after a few hours. Hydrogenated glucose syrup (HGS) is produced by hydrolyzing starch, and then
hydrogenating the resulting syrup to produce sugar alcohols like maltitol and sorbitol, along with hydrogenated oligo- and
polysaccharides. Polydextrose (poly-D-glucose) is a synthetic, highly-branched polymer with many types of glycosidic linkages
created by heating dextrose with an acid catalyst and purifying the resulting water-soluble polymer. Polydextrose is used as a
bulking agent because it is tasteless and is similar to fiber in terms of its resistance to digestion. The name resistant starch is
applied to dietary starch that is not degraded in the stomach and small intestine, but is fermented by microflora in the large
intestine.
Glycogen

Glucose is stored as glycogen in animal tissues by the process of glycogenesis. When glucose cannot be stored as glycogen or
used immediately for energy, it is converted to fat. Glycogen is a polymer of α-D-Glucose identical to amylopectin, but the
branches in glycogen tend to be shorter (about 13 glucose units) and more frequent. The glucose chains are organized globularly
like branches of a tree originating from a pair of molecules of glycogenin, a protein with a molecular weight of 38,000 that acts
as a primer at the core of the structure. Glycogen is easily converted back to glucose to provide energy.

Dextran

Dextran is a polysaccharide similar to amylopectin, but the main chains are formed by 1α→6 glycosidic linkages and the side
branches are attached by 1α→3 or 1α→4 linkages. Dextran is an oral bacterial product that adheres to the teeth, creating a film
called plaque. It is also used commercially in confections, in lacquers, as food additives, and as plasma volume expanders.

Dextran

Inulin

Some plants store carbohydrates in the form of inulin as an alternative, or in addition, to starch. Inulins are present in many
vegetables and fruits, including onions, leeks, garlic, bananas, asparagus, chicory, and Jerusalem artichokes. Inulins, also called
fructans, are polymers consisting of fructose units that typically have a terminal glucose. Oligofructose has the same structure as
inulin, but the chains consist of 10 or fewer fructose units. Oligofructose has approximately 30 to 50 percent of the sweetness of
table sugar. Inulin is less soluble than oligofructose and has a smooth creamy texture that provides a fat-like mouthfeel. Inulin
and oligofructose are nondigestible by human intestinal enzymes, but they are totally fermented by colonic microflora. The short-
chain fatty acids and lactate produced by fermentation contribute 1.5 kcal per gram of inulin or oligofructose. Inulin and
oligofructose are used to replace fat or sugar and reduce the calories of foods like ice cream, dairy products, confections and
baked goods.
 Inulin n = approx. 35

Cellulose

Cellulose is a polymer of β-D-Glucose, which in contrast to starch, is oriented with -CH2OH groups alternating above and below
the plane of the cellulose molecule thus producing long, unbranched chains. The absence of side chains allows cellulose
molecules to lie close together and form rigid structures. Cellulose is the major structural material of plants. Wood is largely
cellulose, and cotton is almost pure cellulose. Cellulose can be hydrolyzed to its constituent glucose units by microorganisms that
inhabit the digestive tract of termites and ruminants. Cellulose may be modified in the laboratory by treating it with nitric acid
(HNO3) to replace all the hydroxyl groups with nitrate groups (-ONO2) to produce cellulose nitrate (nitrocellulose or guncotton)
which is an explosive component of smokeless powder. Partially nitrated cellulose, known as pyroxylin, is used in the
manufacture of collodion, plastics, lacquers, and nail polish.

Cellulose

Hemicellulose

The term "hemicellulose" is applied to the polysaccharide components of plant cell walls other than cellulose, or to
polysaccharides in plant cell walls which are extractable by dilute alkaline solutions. Hemicelluloses comprise almost one-third
of the carbohydrates in woody plant tissue. The chemical structure of hemicelluloses consists of long chains of a variety of
pentoses, hexoses, and their corresponding uronic acids. Hemicelluloses may be found in fruit, plant stems, and grain hulls.
Although hemicelluloses are not digestible, they can be fermented by yeasts and bacteria. The polysaccharides yielding pentoses
on hydrolysis are called pentosans. Xylan is an example of a pentosan consisting of D-xylose units with 1β→4 linkages.
 Xylan

Arabinoxylan

Arabinoxylans are polysaccharides found in the bran of grasses and grains such as wheat, rye, and barley. Arabinoxylans consist
of a xylan backbone with L-arabinofuranose (L-arabinose in its 5-atom ring form) attached randomly by 1α→2 and/or 1α→3
linkages to the xylose units throughout the chain. Since xylose and arabinose are both pentoses, arabinoxylans are usually
classified as pentosans. Arabinoxylans are important in the baking industry. The arabinose units bind water and produce viscous
compounds that affect the consistency of dough, the retention of gas bubbles from fermentation in gluten-starch films, and the
final texture of baked products.

Arabinoxylan

Chitin

Chitin is an unbranched polymer of N-Acetyl-D-glucosamine. It is found in fungi and is the principal component of arthropod
and lower animal exoskeletons, e.g., insect, crab, and shrimp shells. It may be regarded as a derivative of cellulose, in which the
hydroxyl groups of the second carbon of each glucose unit have been replaced with acetamido (-NH(C=O)CH3) groups.

Chitin
Beta-Glucan

Beta-glucans consist of linear unbranched polysaccharides of β-D-Glucose like cellulose, but with one 1β→3 linkage for every
three or four 1β→4 linkages. Beta-glucans form long cylindrical molecules containing up to about 250,000 glucose units. Beta-
glucans occur in the bran of grains such as barley and oats, and they are recognized as being beneficial for reducing heart disease
by lowering cholesterol and reducing the glycemic response. They are used comercially to modify food texture and as fat
substitutes.

Beta-Glucan

Glycosaminoglycans

Glycosaminoglycans are found in the lubricating fluid of the joints and as components of cartilage, synovial fluid, vitreous
humor, bone, and heart valves. Glycosaminoglycans are long unbranched polysaccharides containing repeating disaccharide units
that contain either of two amino sugar compounds -- N-acetylgalactosamine or N-acetylglucosamine, and a uronic acid such as
glucuronate (glucose where carbon six forms a carboxyl group). Glycosaminoglycans are negatively charged, highly viscous
molecules sometimes called mucopolysaccharides. The physiologically most important glycosaminoglycans are hyaluronic acid,
dermatan sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, heparin, heparan sulfate, and keratan sulfate. Chondroitin sulfate is composed of β-D-
glucuronate linked to the third carbon of N-acetylgalactosamine-4-sulfate as illustrated here. Heparin is a complex mixture of
linear polysaccharides that have anticoagulant properties and vary in the degree of sulfation of the saccharide units.

Chondroitin Sulfate Heparin

Agar and Carrageenan

Agar (agar agar) is extracted from seaweed and is used in many foods as a gelling agent. Agar is a polymer of agarobiose, a
disaccharide composed of D-galactose and 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose. Highly refined agar is used as a medium for culturing
bacteria, cellular tissues, and for DNA fingerprinting. Agar is used as an ingredient in desserts in Japan and other Asian countries.
The gels produced with agar have a crispier texture than the desserts made with animal gelatin.

Carrageenan is a generic term for several polysaccharides also extracted from seaweed. Carrageenan compounds differ from
agar in that they have sulfate groups (-OSO3-) in place of some hydroxyl groups. Carrageenan is also used for thickening,
suspending, and gelling food products.

Agarobiose is the repeating disaccharide

unit in agar.

Alginic acid, Alginates

Alginate is extracted from seaweeds, such as giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera). The chemical constituents of alginate are random
sequences of chains of β-D-mannuronic and α-L-guluronic acids attached with 1→4 linkages. Alginates are insoluble in water,
but absorb water readily. They are useful as gelling and thickening agents. Alginates are used in the manufacture of textiles,
paper, and cosmetics. The sodium salt of alginic acid, sodium alginate, is used in the food industry to increase viscosity and as an
emulsifier. Alginates are found in food products such as ice cream and in slimming aids where they serve as appetite suppresants.
In dentistry, alginates are used to make dental impressions.

Alginic acid

Galactomannan

Galactomannans are polysaccharides consisting of a mannose backbone with galactose side groups. The mannopyranose units are
linked with 1β→4 linkages to which galactopyranose units are attached with 1α→6 linkages. Galactomannans are present in
several vegetable gums that are used to increase the viscosity of food products. These are the approximate ratios of mannose to
galactose for the following gums:

• Fenugreek gum, mannose:galactose 1:1

• Guar gum, mannose:galactose 2:1
• Tara gum, mannose:galactose 3:1
• Locust bean gum or Carob gum, mannose:galactose 4:1

Guar is a legume that has been traditionally cultivated as livestock feed. Guar gum is also known by the name cyamopsis
tetragonoloba which is the Latin taxonomy for the guar bean or cluster bean. Guar gum is the ground endosperm of the seeds.
Approximately 85% of guar gum is guaran, a water soluble polysaccharide consisting of linear chains of mannose with 1β→4
linkages to which galactose units are attached with 1α→6 linkages. The ratio of mannose to galactose is 2:1. Guar gum has five
to eight times the thickening power of starch and has many uses in the pharmaceutical industry, as a food stabilizer, and as a
source of dietary fiber.

Guaran is the principal polysaccharide in guar

gum.

Pectin

Pectin is a polysaccharide that acts as a cementing material in the cell walls of all plant tissues. The white portion of the rind of
lemons and oranges contains approximately 30% pectin. Pectin is the methylated ester of polygalacturonic acid, which consists of
chains of 300 to 1000 galacturonic acid units joined with 1α→4 linkages. The Degree of Esterification (DE) affects the gelling
properties of pectin. The structure shown here has three methyl ester forms (-COOCH3) for every two carboxyl groups (-
COOH), hence it is has a 60% degree of esterification, normally called a DE-60 pectin. Pectin is an important ingredient of fruit
preserves, jellies, and jams.

Pectin is a polymer of α-Galacturonic acid with a variable number of methyl ester groups.

Xanthan Gum

Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide with a β-D-glucose backbone like cellulose, but every second glucose unit is attached to a
trisaccharide consisting of mannose, glucuronic acid, and mannose. The mannose closest to the backbone has an acetic acid ester
on carbon 6, and the mannose at the end of the trisaccharide is linked through carbons 6 and 4 to the second carbon of pyruvic
acid. Xanthan Gum is produced by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris, which is found on cruciferous vegetables such as
cabbage and cauliflower. The negatively charged carboxyl groups on the side chains cause the molecules to form very viscous
fluids when mixed with water. Xanthan gum is used as a thickener for sauces, to prevent ice crystal formation in ice cream, and
as a low-calorie substitute for fat. Xanthan gum is frequently mixed with guar gum because the viscosity of the combination is
greater than when either one is used alone.
 The repeating unit of Xanthan Gum

Glucomannan

Glucomannan is a dietary fiber obtained from tubers of Amorphophallus konjac cultivated in Asia. Flour from the konjac tubers
is used to make Japanese shirataki noodles, also called konnyaku noodles, which are very low in calories. Glucomannan is used
as a hunger suppressant because it produces a feeling of fullness by creating very viscous solutions that retard absorption of the
nutrients in food. One gram of this soluble polysaccharide can absorb up to 200 ml of water, so it is also used for absorbent
articles such as disposable diapers and sanitary napkins. The polysaccharide consists of glucose (G) and mannose (M) in a
proportion of 5:8 joined by 1β→4 linkages. The basic polymeric repeating unit has the pattern: GGMMGMMMMMGGM. Short
side chains of 11-16 monosaccharides occur at intervals of 50-60 units of the main chain attached by 1β→3 linkages. Also,
acetate groups on carbon 6 occur at every 9-19 units of the main chain. Hydrolysis of the acetate groups favors the formation of
intermolecular hydrogen bonds that are responsible for the gelling action.

A portion (GGMM) of the glucomannan repeating unit.

The second glucose has an acetate group.