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BIOCHEMISTRY LAB # 6
CARBOHYDRATES
BACKGROUND
Carbohydrates are polyhydroxy compounds that are either aldehydes or ketones that contain only
carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Carbohydrates comprise about 60% of our daily caloric intake and are
the major source of metabolic energy. Carbohydrates are categorized as monosaccharides,
disaccharides, or polysaccharides.
Monosaccharides:
Are the simplest carbohydrates and serve as the building blocks for di and poly saccharides.
Glucose, galactose, and fructose are examples of monosaccharides. All digestible dietary carbohydrates
in our diet are eventually broken down into glucose, and therefore it is also commonly known as blood
sugar. Foods that tend to elevate blood sugar levels too high and too fast are thought to contribute to
insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Fructose is found in fruits and fruit juices and in honey. Fructose
is also commonly known as fruit sugar, and can be found in a large number of foods items (as high
fructose corn syrup).
All monosaccharides are reducing sugars (i,e, they can be oxidized), and either contain an
aldehyde (aldoses) or a ketone (ketoses) group.
Disaccharides:
In a disaccharide two monosaccharides are linked together via a glycosidic bond. Maltose,
lactose, and sucrose are three common disaccharides. Lactose, also commonly known as milk sugar, is
found in milk and milk products. Lactose contains a glucose and galactose combined via a glycosidic
bond. Individuals who lack the enzyme to breakdown (digest) lactose suffer from lactose intolerance.
Sucrose, common table sugar, is composed of glucose and fructose.
Unlike the monosaccharides, not all disaccharides are reducing sugars. Of the three common
disaccharides Lactose and Maltose are reducing sugars, while Sucrose is not.
Polysaccharides:
Polysaccharides are polymers composed of multiple monosaccharide units. Amylose,
Amylopectin, Glycogen, and Cellulose are all polysaccharides containing glucose, and are different only
in the manner in which glucose units are attached to each other. Starch composed of the
polysaccharides amylose and amylopectin, is the major form of glucose storage in plants. Amylose (~
20% of starch) is a linear chain of glucose while amylopectin (~ 80%) is a branched polymer of glucose.
Glycogen is the major form of glucose storage in animals, and is found in the liver and muscle.
Glycogen, like amylopectin in plants, is a branched polymer of glucose. The breakdown (hydrolysis) of
glycogen helps maintain blood glucose levels between meals. Cellulose is an unbranched chain of
glucose and is the major structural component of plants. Humans do not have the enzymes to digest
cellulose and therefore, humans cannot digest cellulose. Such undigestable carbohydrates provide the
major source of fiber in our diet.
Tests for the identification of carbohydrates
Benedicts test for reducing sugars: Benedicts reagent reacts with reducing sugars to form a red
precipitate. The color of the precipitate can vary from green to gold to red depending on the amount
(concentration) of the reducing sugar present in the sample.
Seliwanoffs test for ketoses: Seliwanoffs test can be used to distinguish 6 carbon monosaccharides
(hexoses) that have a ketone group from those hexoses that contain an aldehyde group. With ketoses
the reagent produces a deep red color rapidly, while with aldoses a light pink color develops over a
longer period of time.
Observations
A. Benedicts
Glucose
Fructose
Sucrose
Lactose
Starch
Water
Unknown #_________
B. Seliwanoffs
C. Iodine
Observations
Sucrose + H2O
Sucrose + HCl
Starch + H2O
Starch + HCl
Iodine
Benedicts
Observations
Benedicts
Seliwanoffs
Iodine
QUESTIONS
1. In parts A, B, and C you performed three tests to identify various carbohydrates. Based on your
observations for the known solutions and your observations for the unknown solution, what
carbohydrate(s) is/are in your unknown solution? Provide a brief explanation as to how you made
your choice.
2. Which sucrose and starch samples in part D undergo hydrolysis? How do the observations for the
iodine and Benedicts tests indicate that hydrolysis has occurred?
3. Based on your observations in part D what are the hydrolysis products for each tube:
Sucrose + H2O
Sucrose + HCl
Starch + H2O
Starch + HCl
4. Based on your observations in part E what possible carbohydrates are present in the food item you
tested?
5. You have in front of you three vials containing a clear liquid. You are told that each vial contains one
of the following carbohydrates: Fructose, Sucrose, Amylose. What experiments could you carry out
to determine the composition of each vial. Write down the experiment(s) as well as the expected
observations.