Sucrose

The chemical name of sucrose is α-D-glucopyranosyl (1→2) β-D-fructofuranoside. The anomeric carbons of both monomeric units are involved in the glycosidic bond, carbon #1 (blue halo) of glucose and carbon #2 (yellow halo) of fructose. There are two important consequences of the (1→2) glycosidic bond. 1) Both monomeric units are glycosides, and therefore the chemical name has the ending of -oside instead of -ose like the disaccharides covered in the other tutorials. 2) There are no aldehyde or ketone groups present in an aqueous solution of the sugar, so sucrose is a non-reducing sugar. The chemical name also indicates that the anomeric carbon (blue halo) of glucose has the α configuration and the anomeric carbon of fructose has the β configuration. The α configuration of glucose can easily be seen in the structure of glucose, but the β of fructose is more difficult because the structure of fructose has been flipped 180° so the glycosidic bond can be formed with carbon #2. The anomeric carbon of fructose is on the left side of the fructose unit rather than the right side. In order to see the β configuration of fructose in its normal position,