Chemistry of carbohydrates

Carbohydrates
Definition:
They are defined as polyhydroxy aldehyde or ketones.
Functions:
1. They are energy producers (1 g = 4 calories)
2. Glycogen is storage form of carbohydrates in animals
3. Starch is storage form of carbohydrates in plants
4. Carbohydrates are referred as saccharides (Greek –
saccharon means sugar)
 CLASSIFICATION

Monosaccharides

Carbohydrates Oligosaccharides

Polysaccharides
 Monosaccharides
• Monosaccharides are the simplest group of
carbohydartes and are often referred to as
simple sugars.
• Monosaccharides are further divided into two
groups based on the functional group and the
number of carbon atoms.
• Based upon their functional group
Aldoses
ketoses
Aldoses
When the functional group in monosaccharide
is an aldehyde (CHO) they are known as
aldoses.
E.g. Glyceraldehyde, Glucose
Ketoses
When the functional group is a keto (C=O)
group, they are referred to as ketoses
E.g. Dihydroxyacetone, Fructose
Based on the number of carbon atoms,
• Trioses (3C)
• Tetroses (4C)
• Pentoses (5C)
• Hexoses (6C)
• Heptoses (7C)
These terms along with functional groups are
used while naming monosacharrides.
For e.g. Glucose is an aldohexose
Fructose is an ketohexose
Glucose
Fructose
 Oligosaccharides
• Oligosaccharides contain 2-10 monosaccharides
which are liberated on hydrolysis.
• Based on the number of monosaccharide units
present the oligosaccharides are further
subdivided into two,
• Disaccharides
• Trisaccharides
Disaccharide:
It consists of 2 monosaccharide units held together by
glycosidic bond
They are crystalline, water soluble and sweet to taste.
The disaacharides are of two types:
 Reducing
 Non- reducing
Reducing disaccharide
Disaccharides with free aldehyde or keto group
e.g. Maltose, lactose
Non reducing disaccharide
Disaccharides with no free aldehyde or keto group
e.g. sucrose, trehalose
 Disaccharides
• Maltose
• Sucrose
• Lactose
Maltose (malt sugar) Lactose (milk sugar) Sucrose (cane sugar)
Composition: glucose + Composition: glucose + galactose Composition: glucose +
glucose fructose

Linkage: α (1 4) Linkage: β (1 4) glycosidic bond Linkage: α (1 2) glycosidic

glycosidic bond bond

it is a reducing sugar reducing sugar non reducing sugar

It answers Benedict’s test It answers Benedict’s test It doesn’t answers Benedict’s

test
α amylase lactase Sucrase or invertase
Starch maltose Lactose glucose + galactose Sucrose glucose + fructose
 Trisacchrides
• It consists of 3 monosaccharide units held
together by glycosidic bond.
• Example., Raffinose
Galactose – Glucose-Fructose
 Polysaccharides
• Polysaccharides consist of more than 10 units
of monosaccharides held together by
glycosidic bonds.
• Polysaccharides are linear as well as branched
polymers.
• Polyscaccarides are of two types
1. Homopolysaccharides
2. Heteropolysaccharides
 Homopolysaccharides
• Homopolysaccharides on hydrolysis yield only a
single type of monosaccharides.
• They are named based on the nature of
monosaccharides.
• Thus, glucans are polymer of glucose whereas
fructosans are polymers of fructose.
• Example for homopolysaccharides:
Starch, glycogen, cellulose, inulin
Starch Glycogen Cellulose Inulin
It is the storage It is the storage form of It is present in plants It is a fructosan made
form of carbohydrates in absent in animals of fructose only
carbohydrates in animals
plants
Occurrence: Occurrence: liver, Occurrence: green Occurrence: onion,
potato, grains, muscle leafy vegetables garlic
seeds

Composition: Composition: glucose Composition: glucose Composition: fructose

glucose
 Starch
Amylose (20%) Amylopectin (80%)
Unbranched chain of 200-1000 branched chain of 1000
glucose units held by α (1 4) glucose units held by α (1 4)
glycosidic bond & α (1 6)glycosidic bond
 Heteropolysaccharides
• When the polysaccharides are composed of
different types of sugars.
• Also known as heteroglycans.
Mucopolysaccharides
These are heteroglycans made up of repeating
units of derivatives, namely amino sugars and
uronic acids.
These are commonly known as
glycosaminoglycans (GAG).
GAG is attached to protein to form proteoglycans
GAG Disaccharide unit Occurence Function

Hyaluronic N-acetyl glucosamine- Synovial Lubricant, shock

acid glucuronic acid fluid of joints absorber
Chondroitin N-acetyl Cartilage Provides
sulphate galactosamine- endoskeleton
glucuronic acid structure, helps to
maintain their shape
Keratan N-acetyl glucosamine- Vitreous Transparency of
sulphate galactose humour of cornea
eye
Dermatan N-acetyl Vitreous Maintains shape of
sulphate galactosamine- humour of eye
iduronic acid eye

Heparin Glucosamine- Blood Anticoagulant

glucuronic acid
 Functions
• Major component of extracellular matrix or
ground substance
• They act as molecular seives determine which
substance enter or leave cells
• They are viscous, lubricating properties of
mucous secretion, so called mucopolysaccharides
Based on carbon atoms

3C 4C 5C 6C 7C

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Relax….