Carbohydrate: Introduction and fundamentals

Carbohydrates are the most basic substances through which living system obtains energy in the form of food. The most empirical formula for carbohydrate representation is Cn(H2O)m however, the formula is no more used as an empirical formula. The chapter deals briefly with the introduction of carbohydrates, their classification, structural determination, and their interconversions. Chemistry of monosaccharides, which is majorly glucose and fructose have been dealt. Structural elucidation of glucose and determination of stereochemistry of glucose as explained by noble laureate E. Fischer has been explained in fair detail. Various phenomenon specific to sugars, e.g., mutarotation, anomeric effect, epimerization, glycosidation, etc. have been given due consideration. Interconversions between the ketoses and aldose sugars besides, homologations of the sugar monosaccharides have been described briefly. Besides monosaccharides, chemistry of disaccharides and polysaccharides taking examples of sucrose, lactose, maltose, and cellulose, starch and glycogen have been discussed.