The Fructose

its characteristics and its composition

Fructose in general
• Fructose is a simple ketonic monosaccharide with the brute
formula C6H12O6.

• It’s classified as an alkene due to a double bond present in this

compound.

• Weight of a fructose compound: 180,16 g/mol and a melting point

of 102 ° C. At a temperature of 20 ° C it has a solubility in water
equal to 3760 g / L.

• It looks like a white or colorless solid.

• The French chemist Augustin-Pierre Debrunfaut first discovered it.

Fructose in general
• Fructose along with glucose and galactose are three
monosaccharides that are an important part of our diet:
Where we find Fructose

Fruits, vegetables, root vegetables

Juices and honey

As artificial sweetener

Flower, berries
Where we find Fructose
• Fructose is a natural sugar found in many fruits, honey, vine
fruits, flowers, berries, and most root vegetables.; it is also
present in sucrose in which it is linked to glucose through a
glycosidic bond.

• Commercially, fructose is derived from sugar cane, sugar beets,

and maize.

• Fructose is also present in the high-fructose corn syrup, which is

used to sweeten many processed foods and beverages.
The function of Fructose
• Fructose has several roles in the body:

Energy Production

Glycogen Production

Fat Storage
The function of Fructose: Energy
production
• Body cells need energy to be able to engage in various processes.

• Like glucose, fructose is a source of energy for the cells.

• Cells process fructose to extract energy through a process called

aerobic respiration, which essentially means burning of fructose in
the presence of oxygen to produce ATP, the cellular energy
molecule.
The function of Fructose: Glycogen
production
• The cells can also use fructose to make an important form of
storage carbohydrate, called glycogen.

• The liver and muscles store glycogen to provide for cellular

glucose needs during emergencies or periods of fasting.

• The muscles maintain glycogen for their own use, while the liver
breaks down glycogen to release glucose into the bloodstream for
use by all body cells.

• Partial breakdown of fructose produces the compounds

glyceraldehyde and dihydroxyacetone phosphate.
The function of Fructose: Fat storage
• In addition to storing energy in the form of glycogen, the body
also stores energy in the form of triglyceride, or fat.
• This is an important form of energy storage because it's both light
and energetically dense.
• As such, the body can store a significant quantity of energy
without a significant amount of stored weight. Chemical reactions
modify fructose to produce the precursors to fat synthesis.
Chemical structure of Fructose
• Fructose has a cyclic structure. This structure constitutes a
hemiacetal which is formed by involving the hydroxyl of the carbon
atom 5.

• However, since the ketone carbonyl in fructose is in position C-2,

the ring that is formed contains only five atoms.

• It is also important to note that closing the fructose ring converts

the ketone carbon into an asymmetric carbon.

• Both for the pyranose and furanose structure, it is therefore possible

to have (in aqueous solution) two hemiacetals in equilibrium with
the free ketone; they are designated with the letters α and ß:
Chemical structure of Fructose

• Fructose A-Monosaccharide
Chemical structure of Fructose

• Relationship between the acyclic and the cyclic (hemiketal)

isomers of fructose
Use of Fructose
The three main uses of fructose are:
• as a dietary sweetener;
• as a preservative;
• as a food additive.

In addition:
• Crystalline fructose is used in enhancing the taste in food
industries.
• It is used in flavoured water, energy drinks, low-calorie products,
etc.
• Fruit sugar is used in the manufacturing of soft moist cookies,
nutrition bars, reduced-calorie products etc.
Fructose intolerance
• People who have fructose intolerance should limit high-fructose
foods, such as juices, apples, grapes, watermelon, asparagus,
peas and zucchini.

• Some lower fructose foods, such as bananas, blueberries,

strawberries, carrots, avocados, green beans and lettuce, may be
tolerated in limited quantities with meals.
Industrial production of Fructose

• Frucrose can be industrially produced both from the

polysaccharide inulin (which contains it in large quantities) and
from sucrose by enzymatic treatment.
 Thanks for your
attention!
Presentation done by Zambruno Matteo