STRUCTURE & FUNCTIONS OF SUCROSE

&GLYCOGEN
By
Dr.T.SAKTHIKA

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Sucrose –Disaccharide, Cane sugar and Table sugar,
Found in all photosynthetic plants, sugarcane, beetroot,
apple, pine apple, carrot and ripe fruits,
only food stuff used in crystalline form,
plants transport sugar through vascular system in the form
of sucrose,
sweeter than lactose, maltose and glucose, no
mutarotation, non reducing sugar.
William Miller, coined the word sucrose in 1857

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Structure
molecular formula (C12H24O11) , formed by linking of two
monosaccharides namely, glucose and pyranose,
Glucose is pyranose form, fructose is furanose form,
pyranose glucose has pyranose ring of hexagon having
6 sides. Five corners have 5C atoms and one corner is
occupied by a ring oxygen.
When they join together they lose a molecule of water
The carbon toms are numbered from the ring oxygen
Carbon 1-4 are linked to a secondary alcoholic group
Carbon 5 is linked to a primary alcoholic group
The glucose and fructose of sucrose are linked by a
glycosidic linkage
The linkage is formed between 1st carbon atom of glucose
and 4th carbon atom of fructose. The linkage is 1-4-
glycosidic linkage
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Functions of Sucrose
Sucrose contains 4 calories of energy per gram.
women should intake 6 teaspoons sucrose and men
should around 9 teaspoons
Component of diet, energy food,
In stomach sucrose is digested by sucrase in to
Glucose and fructose.
Plants transport sucrose through vascular tissues,
overconsumption leads to tooth decay because it
fuels the bacteria that produce the plaque that
causes cavities, promotes diabetes
Palm sugar has a glycemic index of 35 while cane
sugar has glycemic index of 60. 4
Palm Jaggery also helps to lower blood sugar levels because it
is a natural source of insulin.
Sucrose is one of the most important components of soft drinks
and other beverages.
This compound is used in many pharmaceutical products.
It serves as a chemical intermediate for many emulsifying agents
and detergents.
It also serves as a food thickening agent and as a food stabilizer.
The shelf lives of many food products, such as jams and jellies,
are extended with the help of this compound.
The use of sucrose in baking results in the brown color of the
baked products.
This compound also serves as an antioxidant (a compound that
inhibits oxidation).
Sucrose is widely used as a food preservative.

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GLYCOGEN
Glycogen is a homopolysaccharide, made up of glucose,
on hydrolysis yields glucose,  Major reserve carbohydrats
of animals, animal starch.  Glycogen is made and stored in
the cells of liver and muscles that are hydrated with the
four parts of water. Found in yeast and fungi which are
devoid of chlorophyll, white powder, gives red colour with
iodine, the red colour disappear on boiling, reappear on
cooling, nonreducing sugar,

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Structure of Glycogen
Glycogen is composed of long polymer chains of glucose units.
Glucose has pyranose ring structure, it is a pentagon with 6
corners.
One corner has O and five corners have carbon atom.
First 4 carbon atoms are linked to secondary alcohollic group
and the 5th carbon atom is linked to primaryalcoholic group.
Glucose units are linked by glycosidic linkage.
There are two types of glycosidic linkage, α 1-4 glycosidic
linkage formed between first carbon of first glucose and 4th
carbon of 2nd glucose, and α 1-6 glycosidic linkage formed
between first carbon of first glucose and 6th carbon of 2nd
glucose,
α 1-4 glycosidic linkage occurs in straight chain and α 1-6
glycosidic linkage occurs in branched chain.
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Functions
Reserve carbohydrates of animals, it is animal starch,
Excess sugar stored in the liver and muscle as glycogen, Also
present in non chlorophyll bearing plants fungi and yeast
The uterus also store glycogen during pregnancy.
Liver glycogen supplies glucose to all tissues through blood ,
Blood always contain 1% of glucose, when it exceeds 1% the
excess glucose is transported to the liver and is converted into
glycogen, this process is called glycogenesis,
Excessive insulin causes hyperglycemia,
Glycogen level is high in the liver,
Marathan runners, cyclists, athletes lost glycogen due to long
period of exhaustion.
When they ingest both carbohydrate and caffeine, glycogen is
replenished rapidly.
When blood sugar level is below 1% the liver glycogen is changed
in to blood glucose. This process is called glycogenolysis.
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Muscle glycogen is utilized as the energy source during muscle
contraction, glycogen resembles amylopectin of starch
chemically but differs from it in molecular weight and degree of
branching.

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