Digestion and

Absorption of
Carbohydrates
 I- Digestion of carbohydrate

A) Digestion of carbohydrate begin in the mouth

 The major dietary polysaccharides are of animal
(glycogen) and plant origin (starch, compose of
amylose and amylopectin) during mastication, salivary
α-amylase act briefly on dietary starch in a random
manner breaking some α (1- 4),giving a mixture of
smaller, branched oligosaccharide molecules.
 Carbohydrate digestion halts temporarily in the
stomach, because of the high acidity inactivates the
salivary α-amylase.
 I- Digestion of carbohydrate

B) Further digestion of carbohydrate by pancreatic enzymes occur in the small intestine

 When the acidic stomach content reach the small intestine, they are neutralized by

bicarbonate secreted by the pancreas and pancreatic α-amylase continues the process of

starch digestion.
Glycogen structure
 I- Digestion of carbohydrate
 C) Final carbohydrate digestion by enzymes synthesized
by the intestinal mucosal cells of the upper jejunum.
 These enzymes are secreted through and remain
associated with the luminal side of the brush border
membrane of intestinal mucosal cells.
Isomltase cleave the α(1-6)bond in isomaltose
Maltase cleaves maltose both producing glucose and
glucose
Sucrase cleaves sucrose producing glucose and fructose
Lactase cleaves lactose producing glucose and galactose .
 II- Absorption of monosaccharide
A) The end products of carbohydrate digestion are monosaccharides:
glucose, galactose and fructose. They are absorbed from the jejunum
to portal veins to the liver, where fructose and galactose are
transformed into glucose.
B) Two mechanism are responsible for absorption of monosaccharides:
Active transport (against concentration gradient i.e from low to high
concentration) and need energy
Passive transport: from high concentration to low concentration
without energy.
C) For passive transport to take place, the structure of sugar should have:
1-Hexose ring
2- OH group at position 2 at the right side.
Both of which are present in glucose and galactose. Fructose which
does not contain OH group at the right at the position 2 is absorbed
more slowly than glucose and galactose by passive diffusion (slow
process).
:Mechanism of active transport
a) In the cell membrane of the intestinal cells, there is a mobile
carrier called carrier protein. It has 2 separate sites, one for
sodium and the other for glucose.
 It transports them from the intestinal lumen across cell
membrane to the cytoplasm.
 Then both glucose and sodium are released into the cytoplasm
allowing the carrier to return for more transport of glucose and
sodium.
:Mechanism of active transport
b) The sodium is transport from high to low concentration
(with concentration gradient, passive transport) and at
the same time causes the carrier to transport glucose
against its concentration gradient from low to high
(active transport).
 The sodium is expelled outside the cell by sodium pump,
which needs ATP as a source of energy. The reaction is
catalyzed by an enzyme called Adenosine triphosphatase
ATPase. Active transport is much faster than passive
transport.
 Passive transport:
 Sugars pass with concentration gradient i.e. from high to
low concentration. It needs no energy
 Fructose and Pentose are absorbed by this mechanism.
Na+ gradient (Na+-K+ATPase) drives
glucose transport and
absorptionfrom intestinal lumen into
intestinal cell
Sugar moves from small intestine lumen into
intestinal epithelial cell to blood stream
ABSORPTION OF MONOSACCHARIDES
Specific transport carriers proteins
 Monosaccharides enter cells lining the intestine via specific
transport proteins. Then pass from cells into the blood,
distributed to the liver, enter the glycolytic pathway
 SGLT1 (sodium dependent glucose transporter) ;carry
glucose from intestinal lumen into intestinal cell – it derives
glucose and sodium ions into intestinal cell .
 GLUT2 ;is responsible for carrying glucose galactose and
fructose across (intestinal ) membrane to blood stream.
Glucose Transporter System, in all Tissues
 A- Sodium dependent transporter (active):
 SGLT-1
 Found in Small intestine - renal tubules
 Active absorption of glucose from lumen of intestine, and
reabsorption of glucose from proximal tubules of kidney,
against concentration gradient
 B- Sodium Independent Transporter (FACILITATIVE):
 I- Insulin dependent: GLUT-4
 Muscles adipose tissues
 Uptake of glucose by muscles, heart and adipose tissues
 GLUCOSE TRANSPORTER SYSTEM

 II- Insulin Independent:

 GLUT-1
 Glucose uptake, red blood cell, brain, kidney

 GLUT-2
 Liver, pancreas β-cell, contra-luminal membrane of intestinal cells (rapid
uptake/ release of glucose, galactose and fructose; high capacity; low
affinity).

 GLUT-3
 Brain, kidney (glucose uptake)

 GLUT-5
 Small intestine (fructose and glucose absorption)
 Fate of Absorbed Sugar
1. Monosaccharides (glucose, fructose and galactose) resulting from
digestion is absorbed and undergoes the following:
A) Utilization by tissues
Glucose may undergo one of the following fates:
1- Oxidation: through
a) Major pathways (glycolysis and kreb’s cycle) for production of
energy.
b) Hexose monophosphate pathway: For production of ribose,
deoxyribose and NADPH + H+
c) Uronic acid pathway: for production of glucuronic acid which is
useful in detoxication and enters in the formation of
mucopolysaccharides.
B) Uptake by tissue (liver)
After absorption sugars are taken by the liver where galactose and
fructose are converted into glucose.
 Fate of Absorbed Sugar
2- Storage:
In the form of Glycogen (Glycogenesis). Or Fat (Lipogenesis).
3- Conversion: to substance of biological importance:
Ribose, dexyribose RNA and DNA.
Lactose Milk
Glucosamine, Galactosamine mucopolysaccharides.
Glucuronic acid mucopolysaccharides.
Fructose in semen.
CARBOHYDRATE MALDIGESTION
DISEASE
Lactose intolerance:
 Intolerance to milk sugar lactose, that may be due a
deficiency of lactase enzyme. Lactase deficiency may
be:
a- inherited deficiency, develop soon after birth, child will
take lactose free milk
b- Low lactase activity, develop in late adults due to
decline
in activity of lactase enzyme
 Ingestion of lactose-containing foods (milk products)
leads to abdominal cramps and diarrhea, because of
lactose is incompletely digested and absorbed.
 Unabsorbed lactose is converted into toxic products by
bacterial enzymes in the large intestine.