Functions of carbohydrates

Have variety of functions in human and animal body:

a. Supply energy for body functions and for doing work
b. Essential for oxidation of fats
c. Exert a sparing action on proteins
d. Provide carbon skelton for synthesis of some non-essential
amino-acids.
e. Some carbohydrates are present in some tissue constituents
f. They add flavor to the diet
g. Starch which forms main source of carbohydrates in average
diet has a bland taste and is non irritant and hence it can be
consumed in large amounts to provide major part of the
energy requirements of the body.
 Digestion and absorption of
carbohydrates
• First stage in the digestion of carbohydrates takes place
in the mouth when the food is chewed
• Saliva contains an alpha-amylase called ptyalin.
• This ptyalin enzyme acts on starch splitting it into
dextrin and maltose
• Amylase acts best at neutral pH
• As the food reaches the stomach, it mixes with the
acidic gastric juice and amylase activity is inhibited
• Digestion of carbohydrates is mainly accomplished in
small intestine where they are subjected to the action
of pancreatic amylases and intestinal amylase, sucrase,
lactase, maltase and isomaltase present in intestinal
juice
• Starch amylase from saliva maltose+ Isomaltose
and pancreatic and intestinal juices juice

• Maltose maltase glucose

• Isomaltose isomaltase glucose

• Sucrose sucrase glucose + fructose

• Lactose lactase glucose+ galactose

• The ultimate products of digestion of carbohydrates are
a. Glucose
b. Fructose
c. Galactose
• These are absorbed in the intestines
• The non – digestible carbohydrates present in the food are
cellulose, hemicelluloses, pentosans, galactans, fructosans
etc, acted upon by digestive juices
• They add bulk to the contents of large intestines and are
excreted in faeces.
• Some of these are fermented by bacteria presented in large
intestine
 Metabolism of carbohydrates
• Glucose, galactose and fructose absorbed in the
intestines pass through portal circulation to the
liver
• In the liver part of glucose and entire galactose
and fructose are converted into glycogen
• A part of glucose passes into general circulation
and to the various tissues for being oxidised and
used as energy.
• Small part of glucose is stored in liver and muscle
as glycogen and some portion of glucose is
converted into fat and stored in adipose tissues
• Oxidation of glucose in tissues occurs in 2
stages as indicated below:
1. Glycogen glucose pyruvic acid lactic acid

2. Pyruvic acid Oxidation CO2+H2O

The first stage is called glycolysis. The oxidation of pyruvic acid

takes place through a series of reactions known as tricarboxylic
acid cycle (Krebs cycle)
 Sources of carbohydrates in diet
• The main sources of carbohydrates are
a. plants, e.g., starch (storage forms carbohydrate of
chlorophyll containing plants),
b. sugars,
c. cereals,
d. potatoes,
e. legumes,
f. millets,
g. roots and other vegetables.
h. Sugars are found in fruits, juice, cane, honey, palm,
milk, etc.
 Importance of Carbohydrates
• Carbohydrates, such as energy yielding compounds D-Ribose, are
the structural elements of nucleic acid and coenzymes.
• Act as intermediates in hexose monophosphate stant.
• D-Lyxose, a constituent of a lyxoflavin isolated from human muscle.
• D-glucose carried out by the blood and used in tissues.
• D-fructose can be changed to glucose in the liver and intestine and
used in the body.
• Glycosides are important in medicine.
• Hexosamines is used as antibiotic.
• Monosaccharides are important constitute of nucleotides and
nucleic acids.
• Disaccharides act as an intermediate in the digestion, important as
a dietary constituent and major source of energy in the diet.
• Starch and glycogen serve as temporary stores of glucose in plants
and animals respectively.
 Functions of Carbohydrates
• Glucose act as energy yielding compounds, the major fuel of the
tissue, constitutes the structural material of the organism,
converted to other carbohydrates having highly specific functions.
• Glycogen acts as important storage of food material of the
organism.
• Play a key role in the metabolism of aminoacids and fatty acids.
• Act as protective function-mucosubstance.
• Act as intermediates in respiration and carbohydrates metabolism
e.g., (trioses).
• Participate in lipid synthesis.
• Pentoses - Synthesis of nucleic acid; Some co-enzymes (e.g., NAD,
FAD, FMN, etc.); ATP, ADP, AMP, and also synthesis of
polysaccharides.
 Carbohydrates Deficiency Diseases
• Hyperglycemia (or high blood sugar is a condition in which an excessive
amount of glucose circulates in the blood plasma. This is generally a
glucose level higher than 11.1 mmol/l )

• Glycosuria (excretion of glucose into the urine. Ordinarily, urine contains

no glucose because the kidneys are able to reclaim all of the filtered
glucose back into the bloodstream. Glycosuria is nearly always caused by
elevated blood glucose levels, most commonly due to untreated diabetes
mellitus. Glycosuria leads to excessive water loss into the urine with
resultant dehydration, a process called osmotic diuresis).
•

• Galactosemia (It is a rare disorder that affects the body's ability to break
down a food sugar called galactose (found in milk and other dairy
products.The body breaks down lactose into galactose and glucose and
uses these sugars for energy. Most people with galactosemia are missing
an enzyme (called GALT) that helps further break down galactose. Defects
in galactose metabolism cause toxic chemicals to build up in cells of the
body.
• Pentosuria (inborn error of carbohydrate metabolism,
characterized by the excessive urinary excretion of the
sugar xylitol.
• Diarrhoea and flatulence (Diarrhea is characterized by
bowel movements that are too loose or occur too
frequently. Flatulence involves the passing of gas from the
lower intestine and often accompanies other
gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea.it may be due to
Lactose intolerance.)

• Under weight (Underweight is a term describing

a human whose body weight is considered too low to be
healthy)
 Carbohydrate requirements
• Body has specific need for carbohydrates as a
source of energy for the brain and other tissue
cells,
• For synthesis of lactose of milk (lactating women)
and galactose and other sugars present in
cerebrosides, muco-polysaccharides etc.
• Carbohydrate is essential for oxidation of fats and
for synthesis of certain non-essential amino acids
• %age calories are derived from carbohydrates in diets
consumed by a vast majority of people in the
developing countries is as high as 60-70% while 40-50%
in Europe and 30-40% in U.S.A
• Carbohydrate calories should be atleast 40% in well
balanced diets
• Level of carbohydrate calories in diet also depends
upon availability of fat and economic conditions of the
people as fat is about twice as costly as cereals on
equicalorie basis in developing countries and per caput
production of fat per day is low (10-15 g)
• Optimal levels of carbohydrates in diet taking
into account the physiological needs for
proteins and fats are given below:
Age group Optimal levels of carbohydrate
calories as per percent of total
calories
Adults 50-70

Expectant and nursing mothers 40-60

Infants (1-12 months) 40-50

Preschool children (1-5 years) 40-60

Older children and adolescents 50-70