Monosaccharides

Physical properties of Carbohydrates

Condition

Taste

Solubility

Optical activity of sugars

As glucose & fructose & most disaccharide ps as sucrose are white crystalline solids & melt sharply

Higher polysaccharides, eg. Starch & cellulose are amorphous solids & do not melt sharply

Low molecular weight sugars are sweet

Different degrees of sweetness

Reference degree of sweetness is that of sucrose =1

Soluble in cold water & hot alcohol

Soluble in water & insoluble in alcohol

Soluble with difficulty in cold water,
easily soluble in hot water, insoluble in alcohol

Monosaccharides

Mucilage, pectins, starch & glycogen

Gums

Insoluble in cold & hot water,
soluble in dil. alkalis

Hemicellulose

Insoluble in above solvents

Cellulose

Rotate plane of polarized light to right

Rotate plane of polarized light to left

Dextrarotatory

(+) symbol

d.

Levorotatory

(-) symbol

l.

Monosaccharides & water soluble oligosaccharides are optically active

Measured with polarimeter

Simplest carbohydrate

Reactions of monosaccharides

Cannot be further hydrolyzed

Condition: White crystalline solids

Functional group: single aldehyde/ ketone

Optically active

Found in D-configuration

Naturally occurring contain 3-7 Carbon atoms

Similar to carbonyl compounds

Similar to alcohols

Specific for carbohydrates

Glycoside formation

Oxidation

Reduction

Osazone formation

Action of mineral acids

Ether formation

Esther formation

Effects of alkalis

Reaction with oxidizing cations

Carbohydrates acetals are called glycosides, eg. Glucosides

Mild oxidation of Aldose

Strong oxidation of Aldose

Controlled oxidation of Aldose

Aldonic acid

Aldaric acid

Alduronic acid

Oxidation of D-glucose at C6
Controlled Oxidation

Oxidation of D-glucose at C1
br2, H2O

Oxidation at C1 & C6
HNO3

D-Gluconic Acid

D- glucoronic Acid

D- Glucaric acid/ Saccharic acid

Body uses glucoronic acid to detoxify alcohols& phenols. Converted in liver to glycosides of glucoronic acid —> urine
eg. IV anesthetic propofol -> water - soluble glucoronide-> excreted

Aldoses reduced to Alditols

Ketoses are also reduced

Glucose —NaBH4<- >Glucitol

Mannose —NaBH4<-> Mannitol

Galactose—NaBH4<-> Dulcitol

Fructofuranose—-> Fructose<—>NaBH4

Methyl glucoside —Dimethyl Sulphate/NaOH— > Pentamethyl glucoside

Ethers are used for determination of ring size

B or a Pentamethyl D- glucose —H3O-> B-tetramethyl D-glucose—HNO3-> C5-C6 cleavage + C4-C5 cleavage

Methyl glucoside —Pyridine/ CH3COOH-> Pentamethyl glucoside

Glucose—Phenyl Hydrazine—> Glucazone

All monosaccharides & reducing disaccharides form osazones

Osazones are beautiful crystals

Osazones are different in physical properties (shapes, and m.p.)

Give reason: why glucose, fructose, Mannose give the same osazone.

Osazone involves C1 & C2 so C3, C4, C5 will have identical configuration

Hot conc. Mineral acids (eg. HCl or H2SO4) cause the elimination of water (dehydration) from the monosaccharides

Pentoses

Methyl pentoses

Hexoses

D- Arabinose — conc. HCl or H2SO4/ -3 H2O—> Furfural

Rhamnose — Conc. HCl or H2SO4/ -3 H2O—> Methyl furfural

Glucose— conc. HCl or H2SO4/ -3 H2O—> Hydroxymethyl furfural

Furfural and it’s derivatives form colored complexes with: Phenolic compounds (eg. alpha-napthol) (Molish’s test)
amines (eg. Aniline) (Aniline acetate paper test)

Colored complexes are used for qualitative & quantitative determination of monosaccharides

Strong alkalis: Polymerization

Weak Alkalis: Isomerization

All monosaccharides & reducing disaccharides are oxidized by metal ions in alkaline medium

Eg. Fehling’s test

Fehling A: CuSO4
Fehling B: Potassium Sodium Tartrate& NaOH
Cu2+ (CuO)(Blue) ——-> Cu+(Cu2O) (Red)
Glucose —-> Gluconic acid

Barfoed’s test: Cu Acetate/ Acetic Acid gives positive with monosaccharides only, as acidic medium decreases the oxidation power of Cu2+