Galactose also abbreviated as Gal, is a monosaccharide sugar which is about as sweet as glucose and 30% as sweet as sucrose. It is a C-4 epimer of glucose. Literally, it is a polymeric form of galactose present in hemicellulose and form core of galactans which is a class of natural polymeric carbohydrates. Galactose is a six carbon sugar or monosaccharide which associates with glucose for forming disaccharide lactose and form galactose polysaccharides in agar which is a component in various mucilages, gums and pectins and found in sugar beets. Galactose is a simple sugar which is transformed in the…
Author: Emily
Maltose (also called malt sugar) consists of two molecules of glucose. It does not generally occur by itself in foods but, rather, is bound together with other molecules. As body breaks these larger molecules down, maltose results as a by-product. Maltose is also the sugar that is fermented during the production of beer and liquor products. Fermentation is a process in which yeast cause an organic substance to break down into simpler substances and results in the production of the energy molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Maltose is formed during the breakdown of sugar in grains and other foods into alcohol.…
Amylopectin is a branched-chain polymer, which consists of o:-1,6-linked glucose units. Amylopectin is a highly branched chain and makes up the remaining 80% of digestible starches in the diet. Cellulose (a fiber) is another complex carbohydrate in plants. Although similar to amylose, it cannot be digested by humans, as discussed in the next section. The enzymes that break down starches to glucose and other related sugars act only at the end of a glucose chain. Amylopectin, because it is branched, provides many more sites (ends) for enzyme action. Therefore, amylopectin is digested more rapidly and raises blood glucose much more…
Amylose is made up of long, unbranched chains of glucose molecules. It has only a-1,4 glycosidic bonds. It is a polysaccharide which is made of α-D-glucose units bonded to each other through α(1→4) glycosidic bonds. Being one of two components of starch, it makes up about 20 to 30%. It is more soluble in water. Due to its tightly packed helical structure, amylose is resistant to digestion in comparison to other starch molecules and is a vital form of resistant starch. Amylose is a type of insoluble fiber which is not digested but fermented by some strains of healthy bacteria…
Ribose is a pentose sugar which is present in all living cells. It is crucial to maintain healthy total adenine nucleotide pools and eventually for formation of adenosine triphosphate and promotes skeletal or cardiac muscle energy metabolism. It is a carbohydrate having C5H10O5 formula. It is a pentose monosaccharide having linear form H−(C=O)−(CHOH)4−H with all hydroxyl groups on same side in Fischer projection. The term ribose refers to two enantiomers. Usually the term indicates D-ribose that occurs widely in nature. L-ribose is not found in nature. In 1891, D-ribose was reported by Emil Fischer. Ribose is a five-carbon sugar that…
Glucose, a simple carbohydrate, is the body’s number-one source of energy. Glucose is the most abundant sugar found in nature. In photosynthesis, plants make glucose, which provides energy for growth and other activities. Also called dextrose, glucose is our primary energy source as well. As already mentioned, most of the carbohydrates you eat are converted to glucose in the body. The concentration of glucose in the blood, referred to as the blood glucose level, is vital to the proper functioning of the human body. Glucose is found in fruits such as grapes, in honey, and in small amounts in many…
Glutamine is an abundant amino acid in tissues and blood. It is required as a source of energy and as a precursor to glutathione. It is used by brain and converted to gamma-aminobutyric which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. It is a dispensable amino acid and a popular supplement for strength athletes. Supplementation of glutamine promotes immune function during exercise. It is a byproduct of various metabolic reactions and synthesized in the body easily. It is a precursor for synthesis of pyrimidines and purines. It is a precursor for gluconeogenesis and acts as a main source of energy for leucocytes and…
Cysteine is a semi essential proteinogenic amino acid having formula HO2CCH(NH2)CH2SH. In cysteine, thiol side chain participates in enzymatic reactions as neucleophile. Thiol is vulnerable to provide disulfide derivative cysteine which acts as important structural roles in various proteins. When used as food additive, it has E number E920 and encoded by codons UGC and UGU. Cysteine has similar structure to serine but one if its oxygen atoms are replaced by sulfur and replacing it with selenium provides selenocysteine. Cysteine is among 20 natural amino acids as it possess thiol group. Thiol groups could undergo oxidation or reduction reactions; when…
Selenocysteine is a biological active form of element present in selenoproteins. The selenol is largely ionized at physiologic pH and is considered to be a strong nucleophile in comparison to thiol of cysteine. The chemical properties provide catalytic function in selenoenzymes. It contains selenium obligated covalently to two carbon atoms. The selenium is armored and not chemically active as selenium in selenocysteine. It is distributed non-specifically in methionine pool. Selenocysteine is integrated into peptide backbone of selenoproteins containing selenium in form of selenol and referred as twenty first amino acid. Selenocysteine has standard amino acid symbols such as Sec (three…
Lignin are indigestible substances which makes woody parts of vegetables such as carrots, broccoli and seeds of fruits such as strawberries. It is regarded as non-carbohydrate forms of fiber. It is found in woody parts of plant cell walls and also in brans, an outer husk of grains such as oats, wheat, rye and other whole grains. It is a class of intricate organic polymers which forms crucial structural materials in support tissues of vascular plants and some algae. It is essential for formation of cell walls especially in bark and wood. It is an irregular polyphenolic polymer which is…