Nutrition: Chapter 4- Carbohydrates

Carbohydrate

organic compound made of varying numbers of monosaccharides

Monosaccharide

carbohydrate consisting of a single sugar

Disaccharide

carbohydrate consisting of two monosaccharides bonded together

Simple carbohydrate/simple sugar

category of carbohydrates consisting of mono-and disaccharides

Hexose

monosaccharide made up of 6 carbon atoms

Glucose

a six-carbon monosaccharide produced by photosynthesis in plants
- most abundant sugar in blood
- primary function to provide cells with ATP

Photosynthesis

process whereby plants use energy from the sun to produce glucose from carbon dioxide and water

Fructose

a six-carbon monosaccharide found in fruits and vegetables
- most abundant in fruits and vegetables

Galactose

a six-carbon monosaccharide found mainly bonded with glucose to form the milk sugar lactose
- found in dairy products

Lactose

disaccharide consisting of glucose and galactose; produced by mammary glands

Maltose

disaccharide consisting of two glucose molecules bonded together; formed during the chemical breakdown of starch

Sucrose

disaccharide consisting of glucose and fructose; found primarily in fruits and vegetables

Glycosidic bond

a type of chemical bond that forms between two monosaccharides
- formed by a condensation reaction, release of a water molecule

Alpha (A) glycosidic bond

a downward facing type of glyco-bond between two monosaccharides

Beta (B) glycosidic bond

an upward facing type of glyco-bond between two monosaccharides

Complex carbohydrates

category of carbohydrate that includes oligosaccharides and polysaccharides

Oligosaccharide

carbohydrate made of relatively few (3-10) monosaccharides
- present in a variety of foods: beans, peas, lentils
- raffinose and stachyose
- undigestable in the large intestine
- components of cell membranes, allowing cells to recognize and interact with

Polysaccharide

complex carbohydrate made of many monosaccharides (10+)
- types: starch, glycogen, dietary fiber

Amylose

a type of starch consisting of a linear chain of glucose molecules
- a1,4 bonds

Amylopectin

a type of starch consisting of a highly branched arrangement of glucose molecules
- a1,4 & a1,6 bonds

Glycogen

polysaccharide consisting of a highly branches arrangement of glucose molecules; found primarily in liver and skeletal muscles
- can be broken down quickly when energy is needed
- body turns to _____ when glucose availability is low

Carbohydrate loading

a technique used to increase the body's glycogen stores

Fiber

polysaccharide found in plants that is not digested or absorbed in the human small intestine

Dietary fiber

fiber that naturally occurs in plants

Functional fiber

fiber that is added to food to provide beneficial physiological effects
- added to food as an ingredient

Total fiber

the combination of dietary fiber and functional fiber

Soluble fiber

dietary fiber that dissolves in water

Insoluble fiber

dietary fiber that does not dissolve in water

Bran

the outer layer of a grain; contains most of the fiber

Germ fiber

portion of a grain that contains most of its vitamins and minerals

Endosperm

the portion of a grain that contains mostly starch

Whole-grain foods

cereal grains that contain bran, endosperm, and germ in the same relative proportions as they exist naturally

Salivary alpha-amylase

enzyme produced by salivary glands, digesting starch by hydrolyzing alpha 1,4 glyco-bonds

Dextrin

partial breakdown product formed by starch digestion, consisting of glucose units

Pancreatic alpha-amylase

enzyme, produced by the pancreas, digests starch by hydrolyzing a1,4 glyco-bonds

Maltase

brush border enzyme that hydrolyzes maltose into two glucose molecules

Brush border enzyme

enzyme, produced by enterocytes, aiding in the final steps of digestion

Limit dextrin

partial breakdown product formed during amylopectin digestion that contains 3-4 glucose molecules an an a1,6 glyco-bond

Alpha-dextrinase

brush border enzyme that hydrolyzes a1,6 glyco-bonds

Disaccharidase

brush border enzyme that hydrolyzes glyco-bonds in disaccharides

Sucrase

brush border enzyme that hydrolyzes sucrose into glucose and fructorse

Lactase

brush border enzyme that hydrolyzes lactose into glucose and galactose

Lactose intolerance

inability to digest the milk sugar lactose, caused by a lack of enzyme lactase

Carbohydrate digestion

Goal of ______ is to break down large, complex molecules such as starch into small, absorbable monosaccharides, requiring a series of enzymes

Steps of starch digestion

1. digestion of amylose and amylopectin in the mouth
2. there is no digestion of amylose and amylopectin in the stomach
3. digestion of amylose and amylopectin in the small intestine
4. digestion of amylose and amylopectin on the brush border of the small

Step #1: mouth digestion

- amylose: salivary glands release amylase, hydrolyzing a1,4, glycosidic bonds in amylose, forming dextrin
- amylopectin: salivary glands release salivary alpha-amylase, hydrolyzing a1,4 glycosidic bonds in amylopectin, forming dextrins

Step #2: stomach digestion

- amylose/amylopectin: acidity of gastric juice destroys the enzymatic activity of salivary alpha-amylase. dextrins pass unchanged in the small intestine.

Step #3: small intestine digestion

- amylose: pancreas releases pancreatic alpha-amylase into the small intestine, p.alpha-amylse hydrolyzes a1,4 glycosidic bonds in amylose. dextrin are broken down into maltose.
- amylopectin: pancreas releases pancreatic alpha-amylase into the small inte

Step #4: brush border digestion

- amylose: maltose is hydrolyzed by maltase (brush border enzyme), forming free glucose
- amylopectin: maltose is hydrolyzed by maltase, forming free glucose. a1,6 glycosidic bonds in limit dextrin are hydrolyzed by alpha-dextrinase, brush border enzyme,