Reducing sugar structure

What is a reducing sugar?

The answer depends on whether or not the open chain form of the sugar
contains an aldehyde group….

O
C
H
 Cyclic form Open chain form
OH OH

H O OH H OH
O
H H
Glucose OH H OH H
H
Glucose
HO H HO
H OH H OH
OH
OH

H O OH OH
H O
H
Mannose OH OH
OH
H
OH
H
Mannose
HO H HO
H H H H
OH OH

HO O OH OH
OH O
H
Galactose OH H
OH
H
H
Galactose
H H H
H
H OH H OH

H H

O OH H OH
H O

Arabinose H H OH H H HO
Arabinose
HO H HO H

OH H OH H

OH OH
OH OH

H O H OH
H O H O OH O
H H H
H H H H
OH H
O
OH H
HO
OH
O
OH
H Maltose
HO H
H OH H OH
H OH H OH

Maltose
 OH
H
H OH OH
H O
H H

Xylitol HO
OH H CH 2OH OH H
H
Glucose
HO
H OH H OH

OH
OH

H OH
O
H
H
OH
OH
H
OH Mannose
Mannitol OH OH CH 2OH HO
H

HO H H
H H OH

OH OH
O
No aldehyde group OH
H
H
Galactose
H
Non‐reducing H
H OH

H OH
O
H H HO
Arabinose
HO H

OH H

OH OH

H O H OH
O
H H
H H

HO
OH
O
OH
H Maltose
H OH H OH
 Fructose
H H

H O OH H OH

H
H
OH H
H
OH
O
No aldehyde group
HO
OH
HO
OH
Non‐reducing
OH H OH H

But if it undergoes the
Lobry de Bruyn‐Alberda van Ekenstein transformation

OH

H OH
O
H
OH H
H
HO
H OH

Contains the aldehyde group
Reducing sugar
 OH

H O H

OH
H
H No aldehyde group
OH
HO
H OH
O O Non‐reducing
HO H
H
HO
H OH
But if….
Sucrose
OH
HO
H O H O OH

OH
H
H + H HO

HO OH H
OH
H OH OH H

And then…..

OH

OH
H
H
H
O
Contains an aldehyde group
OH
HO
H
Reducing sugar
H OH
 Does the sugar 
contain an aldehyde 
group in it’s open 
chain form?
Yes No

Reducing sugar Non‐reducing sugar