Faculty of Medicine

Academic Year: 2024-2025

Year: 1 Semester: 1
Module: Human Body Function (HBF) 102
 Carbohydrate chemist
II

By: Dr. Sara Sayed Kad Abdallah

Lecturer
Medical Biochemist & molecular biology, faculty of
Depa ment: medicine, Cairo university
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 Objectives

1. De ne and Classify disaccharides.

2. Recognize the signi cance of di erent types of disaccharides.
3. De ne and recognize the signi cance of oligosaccharides.
4. Correlate their knowledge to a clinical situation.
5. Identify the di erent types of Polysaccharides.
6. Recognize the functional signi cance of the di erent types of

Polysaccharides.
7. List the prope ies and functions of monosaccharides,

disaccharides, and polysaccharides

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 Introduction

“Disaccharides”
De nition:

Disaccharides are two monosaccharide units united

together by glycosidic linkage.

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 Introduction

Classi cation:

Reducing disaccharides (lactose, maltose)

Non-reducing disaccharides (sucrose)

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 Introduction

1. Lactose (Milk sugar):

- It is formed of galactose and glucose united

by β1,4 galactosidic linkage.

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 Introduction

- It is hydrolyzed by lactase

enzyme or by acids into D-

glucose and D-galactose.

- In cases of lactase enzyme

de ciency, it will lead to a

medical problem called “lactose

intolerance”.

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 Introduction

2. Maltose (Malt sugar):

- It is formed of two molecules of

glucose united by α1, 4-glucosidic

linkage.

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 Introduction

- Maltose is the main product of

digestion of starch by amylase.

- It is hydrolyzed by maltase

enzyme or by acids into two

molecules of D-glucose.

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 Introduction

3. Sucrose (Cane sugar) (Table sugar):

It is the table sugar and is present in sugar cane, beets
and some fruits.
It is formed of glucose and fructose united by α 1,2
glucosidic linkage.

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 Introduction

In sucrose, both C1 in glucose and C2 in fructose are involved in the

linkage, thus it is non-reducing.

It’s hydrolyzed by sucrase enzyme into glucose & fructose.

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 Introduction

“Oligosaccharides”
De nition:
Oligosaccharides are
carbohydrates that contain three
or more than three
monosaccharides (3-10 units of
monosaccharides).

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 Introduction

Signi cance:
Oligosaccharide chains
are linked to lipids or to proteins
forming glycolipids and
glycoproteins present on the cell

su ace, having many functions

including cell recognition and

cell adhesion.

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 Introduction

Clinical correlation:

Lactose intolerance (lactase de ciency):

 Lactose intolerance occurs when your small
intestine doesn't produce enough of an enzyme
(lactase) to digest milk sugar (lactose).
 Symptoms may include abdominal pain,
bloating & diarrhea.
 Infants with this problem must take lactose free
milk.
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 Introduction

“Polysaccharides”
De nition:
Polysaccharides are composed of more than 10 monosaccharide
units linked by glycosidic bonds

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 Introduction

Classi cation:
Polysaccharides are classi ed into homopolysaccharides (starch,
glycogen & cellulose) & heteropolysaccharides (GAGs).

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 Introduction

“Homopolysaccharides”

1- Starch:
 Starch is a homopolysaccharide,
formed of glucose units
united by glucosidic bonds.
 It is the chief storage form of
carbohydrates in plants.

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 Introduction

 It is present in large amounts in cereals (rice and wheat), tubers

(potatoes and sweet potatoes) and legumes (beans).

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 Introduction

 Starch is hydrolyzed by
amylase enzyme in the
digestive system
leading to formation of
maltose.
 ere are two types of
amylases: saliva
amylase & pancreatic
amylase.
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 Introduction

2- Glycogen:
 Glycogen is the storage form of carbohydrates

in human body (animal starch).

 It is mainly present in skeletal muscles and liver.

 Liver glycogen is to maintain blood glucose level.

 Muscle glycogen is to provide the contracting muscle with

energy.
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 Introduction

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 Introduction

Glycogen structure:
 Glycogen is a highly branched polysaccharide.
 Made up of only glucose units.
 Within the branches, the bond is α1,4 glucosidic linkage,
but at the branching point, the bond is α1,6 glucosidic

linkage.

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 Introduction

3- Cellulose:
 Cellulose forms the
principal pa of the cell
wall of plants.
 It is formed of a long non-
branched chain of β-
glucose units connected
together by β1,4-
glucosidic linkage.
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 Introduction

Clinical correlation:
 It is non-hydrolysable by amylase
because it contains a β1,4-
glucosidic linkage.
 e presence of cellulose in diet
(vegetables) is impo ant as it
increases the bulk of food, which
stimulates intestinal contractions
and prevents constipation.
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 Introduction

“Heteropolysaccharides”
 ese are polysaccharides which are formed of more than one

type of monosaccharide unit.

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 Introduction

 e most impo ant heteropolysaccharides are

glycosaminoglycans (GAGs).
 GAGs are unbranched, long chains heteropolysaccharides,
composed of repeating disaccharide units,
units usually made
up of an amino sugar and a uronic acid.

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 Introduction

Classi cation of GAGs:

1. Sulfate-free GAGs: hyaluronic acid

2. Sulfate-containing GAGs: chondroitin sulfate, keratan

sulfate, dermatan sulfate, heparin & heparin sulfate

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 Introduction

 Impo ance: GAGs

are present mainly in

the extracellular

matrix (ECM) or
ground substance in

association with

other extracellular

proteins.
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 Introduction

Functions of GAGs:
1. Structural organization of the extracellular matrix.

2. ey form a hydrated gel due to presence of negative

charges that form hydrogen bonds with water molecules.

3. Lubricant and shock absorber (resilience).

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 Introduction

During exposure
to compression After relief of
 compressible compression 
resilience

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 Interactive Question

1. One of the following by hydrolysis gives galactose units:

a) Maltose
b) glycogen
c) Starch
d) Lactose

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 Interactive Question

2. A polysacchharide which is stored in animals is

a) Glycogen
b) Starch
c) Maltose
d) Cellulose

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 Interactive Question

3. All the following are homopolysaccharides except:

a) Starch
b) GAGs
c) Cellulose
d) Glycogen.

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 Interactive Question

Enumerate ?
1. Two reducing disaccharides
2. Two homopolysaccharides

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 Summa

• Carbohydrates are classi ed into monosaccharides, disaccharides

and polysaccharides.
• Disaccharides are formed of two sugar units.
• Disaccharides are classi ed into reducing and non-reducing.
• Polysaccharides are formed of more than 10 sugar units.
• e most impo ant homopolysaccharides are starch, glycogen and
cellulose.

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 References

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