Carbohydrates
Dr. Uzma Nasib
Assistant Professor
Learning objectives
By the end of the lecture students will be able to:
1. Classify carbohydrates into different groups
2.Differentiate between simple and complex carbohydrates.
3.Describe the biochemical role of carbohydrates
Your Patient
• A 26 year old Asian graduate student in computer science,
had been experiencing occasional discomfort after meals. The
discomfort reached a new peak last Thursday evening about
an hour after eating a cheeseburger and a large chocolate
milk shake. She spent much of that night in pain. She had
abdominal cramps and diarrhea and also felt sick to her
stomach. She went to the clinic and saw a doctor the next
day.
Today's patient (2)
A 25 year old man came to ER with the following
symptoms
• Abdominal distension and pain
• Excess burping
• Loud bowel sounds
• Excess gas and diarrhea
• Watery and explosive bowel movements
• Urgency with bowel movements. After having a
big full bowl of custard
Biomolecules
1. Carbohydrates
2. Lipids
3. Proteins
4. Nucleic acids
• Carbohydrate, consist of carbon, hydrogen,
and oxygen.
– Hydrate=(water) hydrogen and oxygen.
• The basic formula for carbohydrates is CH2O,
meaning that there is one carbon atom, two
hydrogen atoms, and one oxygen atom as the
ratio in the structure of carbohydrates
Where Do Carbohydrates Come From?
• Plants take in Carbon
dioxide (CO2), water
(H2O) and energy from
the sun and make
glucose–
photosynthesis.
6CO2+6H2O+energy (from sunlight) C6H12O6+6O2
Carbohydrates
Foods containing carbohydrates
Rice
Breads
Fruit
Biscuits
Pasta
Breakfast
Potatoes
cereals
Root vegetables
Can you live without sugar?
• Soda/Punch
• Cookies
• Candy
• Chocolate
• Desserts
• Sugary Cereals
• Ice cream
CARBOHYDRATES
60% of our
food should
come from
carbohydrates
CARBOHYDRATES
Carbohydrates give
the body energy.
They are the best
source of fuel for
the body.
CARBOHYDRATES
If we eat more
carbohydrates, than
our need (for
energy), the extra is
stored in the liver as
glycogen or in the
tissues as fat.
Carbohydrate related diseases
Why we are focusing on Carbohydrates?
• Diabetic ketoacidosis
• Hyperosmolar coma
• Hypoglycemia, all affect the central nervous
system
• Due to this reason we are focusing on
Carbohydrate
Classification of carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are mainly classified into four
different groups:
• Monosachharides
• Disaccharides
• Oligosaccharides
• Polysaccharides
Nomenclature
Carbohydrates are
polyhydroxy aldehydes
or ketones, or their
derivatives.
Straight
chain
Ring
structure
Chair
form
Monosaccharides
MONOSACCHARIDES
• Monosaccharides are those carbohydrates which
cannot be Hydrolyzed further into more simple
carbohydrates.
• They are the Simplest form of Carbohydrates.
• Familiar examples are:
Glucose, Fructose, Ribose, Galactose.
Monosaccharides: Simple Sugars
Glucose
•Referred as “blood sugar”
•Found in fruits, vegetables,
honey
Monosaccharides
Glucose
Glycogen is storage form of glucose
Glucose is immediate energy source
Monosaccharides
Fructose
• Sweetest of the sugars
• Present naturally in fruits &
honey, “fruit sugar”
Galactose
• Present in milk
DISACCHARIDES
Disaccharides
Carbohydrates that can be hydrolyzed into two
monosaccharide units;
•Sucrose
•Lactose
•Maltose
Sucrose
• Fructose and Glucose
• Tastes sweet
– fruit, vegetables,
grains
• Table sugar, is refined
sugarcane and sugar
beets
Sucrose, common table sugar, has a glycosidic
bond linking the anomeric hydroxyls of glucose &
fructose.
© 2011 Pearson Education,
Chapter 5 25
Inc.
• A glycosidic bond or glycosidic linkage is a
type of covalent bond that joins a
carbohydrate (sugar) molecule to another
group, which may or may not be another
carbohydrate
• The anomeric carbon is the carbon derived
from the carbonyl carbon (the ketone or
aldehyde functional group) of the open-chain
form of the carbohydrate molecule.
Lactose
• Glucose and Galactose
• Main carbohydrate in milk
– known as milk sugar
Lactose
• Composed of galactose and glucose linked by
• β-1,4 glycosidic bond.
• reducing sugar
•One of the
anomeric
carbons is free
Lactose also called milk sugar because it naturally occurs
only in milk.
One of the anomeric carbons is free, so lactose is
a reducing sugar.
Digestion of lactose
The intestinal villi secrete an enzyme called lactase
(β-D-galactosidase) to digest lactose, and produce
glucose and galactose, which can be absorbed.
Maltose
• 2 glucose units
• Produced when starch breaks down
• Not abundant
Maltose Maltose syrup
Composed of two glucoses linked by
α-1, 4 glycosidic bond
• reducing sugar
Oligosaccharides
Composed of:
– Three to ten monosaccharide units
– Found in legumes and human milk
Polysaccharides
Glycogen
Multibranched polysaccharide of glucose that serves
as a form of energy storage in humans
– All glucose is stored as glycogen in animals
– Glycogen store in liver and muscle
Polysaccharides
Starches
• Stored in plant cells
• Body hydrolyzes plant starch to glucose
Polysaccharides
Fiber types
• Cellulose
• Pectins
• Lignins
– Classified as fibers
– Escape digestion and absorption
– Minimal or no energy available
CLASSIFICATION OF CARBOHYDRATES
Types of Carbohydrates
1. Simple Carbohydrates
– Monosaccharides
– Disaccharides
2. Complex Carbohydrates
– Oligosaccharides
– Polysaccharides
Simple Carbohydrates
• Simple carbohydrates are
quick energy sources.
• They come from simple
sugars.
• They do not usually supply
vitamins, minerals or
fiber.
Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates supply longer lasting
energy, as well as other nutrients and fiber that the
body needs. They are a better choice.
Functions of Carbohydrates
1) Energy
• glucose fuels the work of most of the body’s cells
– preferred fuel of NERVOUS TISSUE (the brain, nerves) and
RED BLOOD CELLS (RBC)
• excess glucose is stored as GLYCOGEN in liver and
muscle tissue
Functions of Carbohydrates
2) Sparing Body Protein
• If diet does not provide enough glucose, then other
sources of glucose must be found
• If carbohydrate intake < 50 - 100 g, body protein will
be used to make glucose
• An adequate supply of carbohydrate spares body
proteins from being broken down to synthesize
glucose
Functions of Carbohydrates
3) Preventing Ketosis (Anti-ketogenic)
• Carbohydrates required for the complete
metabolism of fat
• Incomplete fat metabolism produces KETONES
• An adequate supply of carbohydrate (> 50 –
100 gm per day) prevents KETOSIS
Functions of Carbohydrates
4) Fiber
• Beneficial for weight control by contributing to
satiety & delay gastric emptying
• Soluble fibers lower blood cholesterol to help
reduce risk of cardiovascular disease
• Minimizes risk of and helps control Type II Diabetes
• Insoluble fibers help promote intestinal health by
enlarging stool size and easing passage of stool
Carbohydrates
Biological roles:
- Nutrients and energy storage.
- Structural and protection roles.
- Bones lubricants.
- Cellular adhesion.
- Glycoconjugates: intracellular signalling,
cell recognition.
