COURSE OUTLINE

 CHAPTER 4. CARBOHYDRATES

 Carbohydrates
 Monosaccharide
 Disaccharide
 Polysaccharide
 Carbohydrate Digestion
CARBOHYDRATES
• The term “carbohydrate” comes from the
observation that when you heat sugars, you get
carbon and water (hence, hydrate of carbon).

• carbohydrates is one of the most important

macronutrients required in our body that provides
main source of energy to the body

• they can be found in a wide variety of foods,

including whole grains, fruit, and vegetables, as well
as in many various forms, such as sugars and dietary
fiber

• are made of building blocks of sugars, and can be

classified according to how many sugar units are
combined in their molecule
CARBOHYDRATES
• It is made up of the elements C, H and O
• The later 2 elements are in the same proportion as in
water and were expressed by a formula (Cn(H2O)n
• Carbohydrates are now-adays broadly defined as
polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones which produce
them on hydrolysis
• Also called saccharides, which means “sugars”
• About 65% of the food in our diet consist of
carbohydrate
• During digestion, carbohydrates are converted into
glucose
• GLUCOSE – immediate energy
• Reserve or stored energy is in the form of GLYCOGEN
CARBOHYDRATES
• ABO blood markers found on red blood cells are
made up of carbohydrate. They allow us to
distinguish our body’s blood type from a foreign
blood type
• Carbohydrates in our body prevent blood clots. They
are also found in our genetic material
• Carbohydrates also can combine with lipids to form
GLYCOLIPIDS
• With protein to form GLYCOPROTEINS
CARBOHYDRATES
FUNCTIONS OF CARBOHYDRATES

• serves as energy supply in the brain and other cells

• they spare protein so that protein can concentrate on building, repairing, and maintaining
body tissues instead of being used up as energy source
• for fat to be metabolized, carbohydrates must be present
• it is necessary for the regulation of nerve tissue and is the ONLY source of energy for the
brain
• certain types of carbohydrates encourage the growth of health bacteria in the intestine for
digestion
• some carbohydrates are high in fiber which helps prevent constipation and lowers the risk
for certain diseases such as cancer, heart diseases and diabetes
CARBOHYDRATES
• Carbohydrates are much abundant in
plants, rather than in animals
• these carbohydrates are utilized by the
animals in the form of food
• Well known carbohydrates are;
• glucose - C6H12O6 SUCROSE - C12H22O11
• sugar - C12H22O11
• starch - C6H10O5
• cellulose - (C6H10O5)n

STARCH - C6H10O5 CELLULOSE-

(C6H10O5)n
CARBOHYDRATES
• Carbohydrates are classified according
to the number of sugar molecules
• Simple carbohydrates
• Monosaccharides
• Disaccharides
- these are small molecules
which dissolve in water and are
absorbed very quickly in the
body

• Complex carbohydrates
• Polysaccharides
- Starches and dietary fibers are
very large, complex molecules
and absorbed slowly
CARBOHYDRATES
• Simple carbohydrates
• Are found in foods such as fruits, milk and
vegetables
• Cakes, candies and other refined sugar
products are simple sugars which also provide
energy but lack vitamins, minerals and fibers

• Complex Carbohydrates
• Provide vitamins, mineral and fibers
• Foods such as breads, legumes, rice, pasta and
starchy vegetables contain complex
carbohydrates
CARBOHYDRATES
Carbohydrates are classified into three major classes on the basis of behavior on hydrolysis:
1. Monosaccharide - monomers
2. Disaccharides - dimers
3. Polysaccharides - polymers
CARBOHYDRATES - MONOSACCHARIDE
MONOSACCHARIDE • If the carbonyl group is aldehyde – the
monosaccharide is aldose
• Made up of 1 sugar unit • If the carbonyl group is ketone – the
• simple sugar monosaccharide is ketose
• are compounds which possess a free aldehyde
(CHO) or ketone C=O group and 2 or more
hydroxyl (OH) groups aldehyde
• Cannot be hydrolyzed further into smaller
units
• Monosaccharides are classified according to
these characteristics:
• The placement of its carbonyl group
• The number of carbon atoms it contains
ketone
• Examples of monosaccharides : glucose,
fructose and galactose
CARBOHYDRATES - MONOSACCHARIDE
CARBOHYDRATES - MONOSACCHARIDE
• Depending upon the number of carbon atoms they divided into:
• Two carbon atom – bioses; e.g. glycolaldehyde
• three carbon atom – triose - C3(H20)3 or C3H6O3; e.g. glyceraladehyde
• four carbon atom – tetrose – C4(H20)4 or C3H8O4; e.g. D- erythrose, L - erythrose
• five carbon atom – pentose – C5(H20)5 or C5H10O5; e.g. ribose
• six carbon atom – hexose – C6(H20)6 or C3H12O6; e.g. glucose
The ending OSE means the sugar
CARBOHYDRATES - MONOSACCHARIDE
GLUCOSE

• Carbohydrate form used by the body referred as

“blood sugar”
• Other name “dextrose” and also grape sugar
• The essential energy source for all body function
• A basic sub-unit of other larger carbohydrate
molecule
• The chemical formula for glucose is C6H12O6
• It is a six sided ring
• An energy source, primary fuel for the cell
• A precursor forms of (cellulose, glycogen and starch)
• Hypoglycemia (low blood glucose level)
• Hyperglycemia (high blood glucose level)
CARBOHYDRATES - MONOSACCHARIDE
FRUCTOSE

• Also known as “levulose” or fruit sugar

• The sweetest of all sugars
• 1 to 2 times sweeter than table sugar
• Used as artificial sweetener
• Occurs naturally in fruits and honey “the fruit sugar”
• They are used in soft drinks, ready to use cereals and
desserts
• Combined with glucose to form sucrose or your table
sugar
• It can be broken down for energy in the body
CARBOHYDRATES - MONOSACCHARIDE

GALACTOSE

• Part of lactose
• Combines with glucose to form lactose “milk sugar”
• Basic unit of peptic substances
• Once absorbed by the body, galactose is converted
to glucose to provide energy
• Building blocks of vegetable gums
CARBOHYDRATES - DISACCHARIDES
DISACCHARIDES The two monosaccharides are bonded via a
dehydration reaction (also called a
• Composed of 2 monosaccharides condensation reaction or dehydration
• they are simple double sugar synthesis) that leads to the loss of a molecule
• these are formed when two monosaccharide of water and formation of a glycosidic bond
molecules join together, with the elimination of one
molecule of water known as dehydration reaction
• They form aqueous solution when dissolved in water
• They have the general formula C12H22O11.

C6H12O6 + C6H12O6 = C12H22O11 + H2O

Glucose + Glucose = Maltose + Water

• Important disaccharides are sucrose, lactose and

maltose
CARBOHYDRATES - DISACCHARIDES
SUCROSE LACTOSE
• Combination of glucose + fructose = sucrose • Combination of glucose + galactose = lactose
• Known as table sugar • The primary sugar in milk and milk products
• Most abundant disaccharide found in nature • Many people have problems digesting large
• Found naturally in plants such as sugarcane, amounts of lactose (lactose intolerance) – losing
sugar beets, honey, maple syrup the ability to produce enzyme lactase that
• Sucrose may be purified from plant sources into hydrolyzes into its monosaccharide units
brown, white and powdered sugars
CARBOHYDRATES - DISACCHARIDES
MALTOSE
• Glucose + glucose = maltose
• Also known as malt sugar
• It is formed by the breakdown of starch
• Used naturally in fermentation reactions of alcohol and beer manufacturing
• Malted barley, a key ingredient in beer, contains high levels of maltose
• During germination of barley seeds, the starch goes through hydrolysis to form maltose. This
process is halted by drying and roasting barley seeds prior to germination

•
CARBOHYDRATES - POLYSACCHARIDES
POLYSACCHARIDE
• Containing 10 or more monosaccharide units attached together linked by glycosidic bonds:
- alpha bonds (starch)
- beta bonds (found in fiber)

• They have the general formula (C6H10O5)n where ‘n’ is a large number
• Long chains of glucose units form the POLYSACCHARIDES
• They are very large, complex molecules and insoluble to water
• Examples include; Heparin – medically important
• Storage polysaccharides - Starch and glycogen polysaccharide because it prevents
• Structural polysaccharides - Cellulose and chitin clotting in the bloodstream
CARBOHYDRATES - POLYSACCHARIDES
STARCH
• The major digestible polysaccharide in our diet
• The storage form of carbohydrate in plants
• They can be found in wheat, rice, corn, rye, barley,
potatoes, tubers, yams and etc.
• Starches are not water soluble
• Cereals – 65-85%
• Seeds and roots – 19-35%
• Fruits and vegetables – 2-10%
• During fruit ripening, starch undergoes hydrolysis
to produce glucose and maltose which are sweet
• When we consume starch, the digestive system
breaks it down into glucose units to be use by the
body.
• Serves also as binder in the formulation of drugs
CARBOHYDRATES - POLYSACCHARIDES
There are 2 types of plant starch: Amylopectin – makes up of 80% of plant starch
Amylose – makes up 20% of plant starch - molecule chain are long and branch out
- molecule chain are linear (no branches) – insoluble to water
- water soluble - it gives purple color in addition of iodine
- It gives blue color in addition of iodine
CARBOHYDRATES - POLYSACCHARIDES
GLYCOGEN
• The storage form of glucose in the body
• Stored in the liver and muscles
• They are found in tiny amount in meat sources NOT found in plants
• Similar to amylopectin but is more highly branched
• When glucose is needed, glycogen is hydrolyzed in the liver to glucose
• Glycogen is a branched polysaccharide
• The branching of glycogen is possible due to the presence of alpha-1,6-glycosidic bonds between
glucose units
CARBOHYDRATES - POLYSACCHARIDES
CELLULOSE
• Is composed of thousands of glucose
molecules
• The chain of glucose units is straight
which allows chains to align next to
each other to form a strong rigid
structure
• Form cell walls in plants
• Also called as fiber or ruffage
• Indigestible by human (e.g.
hemicellulose, pectins and gums)
• The structural parts of plants which
are not digested by enzymes in the
human intestinal tract are knowns a
DIETARY FIBER
CARBOHYDRATES - POLYSACCHARIDES
CHITIN
• Is a naturally occurring polysaccharide, second
most abundant molecule next to cellulose
• Similar to cellulose
• It has a formula : C8H13O5N
• Makes up the skeleton of insects and
crustaceans and cell walls of some fungi
• It consist of N-acetyl-d-glucosamine units and
joined by a β-(4) glycosidic linkage
• Like cellulose it consists of parallel chains of
molecules held together by hydrogen bonds
• Chitin is used a surgical thread that
biodegrades as a wound heals
• They are also used to waterproof paper and in
cosmetics and lotions to retain moisture
CONCEPT MAP OF
CARBOHYDRATES
CARBOHYDRATE DIGESTION