GENERAL PROPERTIES OF CARBOHYDRATES

Physical Properties
1. Appearance:
a. Mono and disaccharides
white crystalline
substances;
b. Starches amorphous
powder;
c. Cellulose fibrous.
2. Solubility:
a. Mono and disaccharides
readily dissolved in
water;
b. Higher carbohydrates e.g.
Starch dissolve only
slightly;
c. Cellulose insoluble.
3. Taste:
a. Mono and disaccharides
sweet;
b. Starches and celluloses
tasteless.
Fructose sweetest of the
common sugars;
Lactose least sweet;
Sucrose taken as the standard
(100%) of sweetness with which
the other sugars are compared.

Chemical Properties

Formation of Glycosides:
Glycosides - molecules in which
a sugar (carbohydrate) is bound
to a non-sugar molecule (noncarbohydrate).
In the formation of
glycosides,hydroxyl group (OH)
of anomeric carbon of sugar
part reacts with hydroxyl group
of non sugars part through
glycosidic linkage.
This linkage is formed at
anomeric carbon that can be of
or configuration so the
glycosides may or
glycosides.

O-glycosides are more common

in nature. Oligosaccharides and
polysaccharides contain Oglycosidic bonds. N-glycosidic
bonds occur in nucleotides and
in glycoproteins.
Reducing power:
All mono and disaccharides
containing the potentially free
aldehyde or ketone group
possess reducing properties.
Osazone Formation:
Osazone is yellowish, crystalline
compound, produced as a result
of heating sugars solutions with
phenylhydrazine (C6H5NHNH2).
Osazones are formed by those
sugars which contain a free
aldehyde or ketone group
Formation of sugar alcohols:
The aldehyde or ketone group
of both aldoses and ketoses can
be reduced to form the
corresponding polyhydroxy
alcohols.
Example: Glucose reduces to
form sorbitol and fructose
reduces to form sorbitol and
mannitol.
Action of Alkalies:
Dilute basic solutions at low
temperature can bring about
rearrangement of groups at the
anomeric carbon atoms and its
adjacent carbon atom.
For example glucose can be
changed to fructose and
mannose.
Action of Acids:
In the presence of an acid,
disaccharides and other higher
carbohydrates are more readily
decomposed than
monosaccharides
Amino sugars formation:
A hydroxyl group of the
monosaccharides can be

GENERAL PROPERTIES OF CARBOHYDRATES

replaced by an amino group (
NH2) forming an amino sugar.
Example are D-glucosamine
(hyaluronic acid), Dgalactosamine (chondroitin) The
amine group is attached at C-2.
Fermentation:
Fermentation is the process of
converting a larger complex
molecule into simple molecules
by means of enzymes.
Some of the hexoses sugars are
converted to ethanol and CO2
by a group of enzymes called as
zymases.
Esterification:
Hydroxyl group of sugar can be
esterified with phosphates,
acetates, propionates and
stearates.
Example is/are Sugar
phosphates.
Oxidation-Reduction:
Aldehyde sugars (reducing
sugars) are readily oxidized and
will react with Benedicts
reagent.
Identification Tests
1.
i.
ii.
iii.

Molisch Test
general test for carbohydrates
(+) violet ring
Molisch reagent= alphanaphthol dissolved in ethanol
iv. Reaction with acids
v. uses conc. H2SO4 as
dehydrating agent and alphanaphthol as condensing agent
2. Tests for Reducing Sugars:
a. Benedict's Test
i. specific and sensitive for
reducing sugars
ii. (+) green, yellow, orange, or
brick red
iii. Reagent contains CuSO4.5H20
in an alkaline citrate solution

b.

c.

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

f.

g.

iv. These tests are useful to check

for glucose in the urine of a
diabetic.
Picric Acid Test
i. Picric acid (yellow) is reduced
to (+) picramic acid
(mahogany red)
Nylander's Test
i. uses an alkaline solution of
Bismuth subnitrate
( Bi(OH)2NO3 )
ii. (+)black solution (bismuth)
3. Specific Tests:
Bial Orcinol Test
i. uses conc. HCl as dehydrating
agent and Orcinol with trace of
Iron (III) chloride
ii. (+) Pentoses- blue or green
iii. (+) Hexoses- muddy brown to
gray
Mucic Acid test
i. specific for galactose and
lactose
ii. (+) White sandy crystals
Tollen's test
i. uses Tollen's reagent
(ammoniacal AgNO3)
ii. (+) silver mirror formation
iii. Test for aldoses
Seliwanoff's Test
i. distinguishes aldoses from
ketoses
ii. ketose- faster to react, (+)
cherry red color
Taubers Benzidine Test
i. Indicates presence of pentoses
ii. 2 gtt of sugar solution to 1 ml
of benzidine solution
iii. (+) production of violet color
Iodine Test
i. specific test for starch
ii. iodine forms a large complex
polysaccharide with alphaamylose helix present in starch
iii. (+) starch and simpler
oligosaccharides and
monosaccharides, blue-black
color
Barfoeds Test

GENERAL PROPERTIES OF CARBOHYDRATES

i. Solution of cupric acetate in
weak acetic acid

ii. Test for monosaccharides