Introduction

Carbohydrates are one of the most important components in many foods. Carbohydrates may be present as isolated molecules or they may be physically associated or chemically bound to other molecules. Individual molecules can be classified according to the number of monomers that they contain asmonosaccharides, oligosaccharides or polysaccharides. Molecules in which the carbohydrates are covalently attached to proteins are known as glycoproteins, whereas those in which the carbohydrates are covalently attached to lipids are known as glycolipids. Some carbohydrates are digestible by humans and therefore provide an important source of energy, whereas others are indigestible and therefore do not provide energy. Indigestible carbohydrates form part of a group of substances known as dietary fiber, which also includes lignin. Consumption of significant quantities of dietary fiber has been shown to be beneficial to human nutrition, helping reduce the risk of certain types of cancer, coronary heart disease, diabetes and constipation. As well as being an important source of energy and dietary fiber, carbohydrates also contribure to the sweetness, appearence and textural characteristics of many foods. It is important to determine the type and concentration of carbohydrates in foods for a number of reasons.

  • Standards of Identity – foods must have compositions which conform to government regulations
  • Nutritional Labeling – to inform consumers of the nutritional content of foods
  • Detection of Adulteration – each food type has a carbohydrate “fingerprint”
  • Food Quality – physicochemical properties of foods such as sweetness, appearance, stability and texture depend on the type and concentration of carbohydrates present.
  • Economic – industry doesn’t want to give away expensive ingredients.

Classification of carbohydrate.

Monosaccharides

Monosaccharides are water-soluble crystalline compounds. They are aliphaticaldehydes or ketones which contain one carbonyl group and one or more hydroxyl groups. Most natural monosachharideshave either five (pentoses) or six (hexoses) carbon atoms. Commonly occurringhexoses in foods are glucose, fructose andgalactose, whilst commonly occurringpentoses are arabinose and xylose. The reactive centers of monosaccharides are the carbonyl and hydroxyl groups.

Oligosaccharides

These are relatively low molecular weight polymers of monosaccharides (< 20) that are covalently bonded through glycosidiclinkages. Disaccharides consist of two monomers, whereas trisaccharides consist of three. Oligosaccharides containing glucose, fructose and galactose monomers are the most commonly occurring in foods.

Polysaccharides

The majority of carbohydrates found in nature are present as polysaccharides. Polysaccharides are high molecular weight polymers of monosaccharides (> 20). Polysaccharides containing all the samemonosaccharides are calledhomopolysaccharides (e.g., starch, cellulose and glycogen are formed from only glucose), whereas those which contain more than one type of monomer are known as heteropolysaccharides (e.g., pectin,hemicellulose and gums).

Methods of Analysis

A large number of analytical techniques have been developed to measure the total concentration and type of carbohydrates present in foods (see Food Analysis byNielssen or Food Analysis by Pomeranz andMeloan for more details). The carbohydrate content of a food can be determined by calculating the percent remaining after all the other components have been measured: %carbohydrates = 100 – %moisture – %protein – %lipid – %mineral. Nevertheless, this method can lead to erroneous results due to experimental errors in any of the other methods, and so it is usually better to directly measure the carbohydrate content for accurate measurements.

 

Monosaccharides and Oligosaccharides

 Sample Preparation

The amount of preparation needed to prepare a sample for carbohydrate analysis depends on the nature of the food being analyzed. Aqueous solutions, such as fruit juices, syrups and honey, usually require very little preparation prior to analysis. On the other hand, many foods contain carbohydrates that are physically associated or chemically bound to other components, e.g., nuts, cereals, fruit, breads and vegetables. In these foods it is usually necessary to isolate the carbohydrate from the rest of the food before it can be analyzed. The precise method of carbohydrate isolation depends on the carbohydrate type, the food matrix type and the purpose of analysis, however, there are some procedures that are common to many isolation techniques. For example, foods are usually dried under vacuum (to prevent thermal degradation), ground to a fine powder (to enhance solvent extraction) and then defatted by solvent extraction.

One of the most commonly used methods of extracting low molecular weight carbohydrates from foods is to boil a defatted sample with an 80% alcohol solution. Monosaccharides and oligosaccharides are soluble in alcoholic solutions, whereas proteins, polysaccharides and dietary fiber are insoluble. The soluble components can be separated from the insoluble components by filtering the boiled solution and collecting the filtrate (the part which passes through the filter) and the retentante (the part retained by the filter). These two fractions can then be dried and weighed to determine their concentrations. In addition, to monosaccharides and oligosaccharides various other small molecules may also be present in the alcoholic extract that could interfere with the subsequent analysis e.g.,amino acids, organic acids, pigments, vitamins, minerals etc. It is usually necessary to remove these components prior to carrying out a carbohydrate analysis. This is commonly achieved by treating the solution with clarifying agents or by passing it through one or more ion-exchange resins.

  • Clarifying agents. Water extracts of many foods contain substances that are colored or produce turbidity, and thus interfere with spectroscopic analysis or endpoint determinations. For this reason solutions are usually clarified prior to analysis. The most commonly used clarifying agents are heavy metal salts (such as lead acetate) which form insoluble complexes with interfering substances that can be removed by filtration or centrifugation. However, it is important that the clarifying agent does not precipitate any of the carbohydrates from solution as this would cause an underestimation of the carbohydrate content.
  • Ion-exchange. Many monosaccharidesand oligosaccharides are polar non-charged molecules and can therefore be separated from charged molecules by passing samples through ion-exchange columns. By using a combination of a positively and a negatively charged column it is possible to remove most charged contaminants. Non-polar molecules can be removed by passing a solution through a column with a non-polar stationary phase. Thus proteins, amino acids, organic acids, minerals and hydrophobic compounds can be separated from the carbohydrates prior to analysis.

Prior to analysis, the alcohol can be removed from the solutions by evaporation under vacuum so that an aqueous solution of sugars remains.

Chromatographic andElectrophoretic methods

Chromatographic methods are the most powerful analytical techniques for the analysis of the type and concentration ofmonosaccharides and oligosaccharides in foods. Thin layer chromatography (TLC), Gas chromatography (GC) and High Performance Liquid chromatography (HPLC) are commonly used to separate and identify carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are separated on the basis of their differential adsorption characteristics by passing the solution to be analyzed through a column. Carbohydrates can be separated on the basis of their partition coefficients, polarities or sizes, depending on the type of column used. HPLC is currently the most important chromatographic method for analyzing carbohydrates because it is capable of rapid, specific, sensitive and precise measurements. In addition, GC requires that the samples be volatile, which usually requires that they be derivitized, whereas in HPLC samples can often be analyzed directly. HPLC and GC are commonly used in conjunction with NMR or mass spectrometry so that the chemical structure of the molecules that make up the peaks can also be identified.

Carbohydrates can also be separated by electrophoresis after they have beenderivitized to make them electrically charged, e.g., by reaction with borates. A solution of the derivitized carbohydrates is applied to a gel and then a voltage is applied across it. The carbohydrates are then separated on the basis of their size: the smaller the size of a carbohydrate molecule, the faster it moves in an electrical field.

 Chemical methods

A number of chemical methods used to determine monosaccharides and oligosaccharides are based on the fact that many of these substances are reducing agents that can react with other components to yield precipitates or colored complexes which can be quantified. The concentration of carbohydrate can be determined gravimetrically,spectrophotometrically or by titration. Non-reducing carbohydrates can be determined using the same methods if they are first hydrolyzed to make them reducing. It is possible to determine the concentration of both non-reducing and reducing sugars by carrying out an analysis for reducing sugars before and after hydrolyzation. Many different chemical methods are available for quantifying carbohydrates. Most of these can be divided into threecatagories: titration, gravimetric and colorimetric. An example of each of these different types is given below.

Titration Methods

The Lane-Eynon method is an example of atritration method of determining the concentration of reducing sugars in a sample. A burette is used to add the carbohydrate solution being analyzed to a flask containing a known amount of boiling copper sulfate solution and a methyleneblue indicator. The reducing sugars in the carbohydrate solution react with the copper sulfate present in the flask. Once all the copper sulfate in solution has reacted, any further addition of reducing sugars causes the indicator to change from blue to white. The volume of sugar solution required to reach the end point is recorded. The reaction is not stoichemetric, which means that it is necessary to prepare a calibration curve by carrying out the experiment with a series of standard solutions of known carbohydrate concentration.

The disadvantages of this method are (i) the results depend on the precise reaction times, temperatures and reagent concentrations used and so these parameters must be carefully controlled; (ii) it cannot distinguish between different types of reducing sugar, and (iii) it cannot directly determine the concentration of non-reducing sugars, (iv) it is sucseptible to interference from other types of molecules that act as reducing agents..

Gravimetric Methods

The Munson and Walker method is an example of a gravimetric method of determining the concentration of reducing sugars in a sample. Carbohydrates are oxidized in the presence of heat and an excess of copper sulfate and alkalinetartrate under carefully controlled conditions which leads to the formation of a copper oxide precipitate:

����������� reducing sugar + Cu2+ + base � oxidized sugar + CuO2(precipitate)

The amount of precipitate formed is directly related to the concentration of reducing sugars in the initial sample. The concentration of precipitate present can be determined gravimetrically (by filtration, drying and weighing), or titrimetrically (byredissolving the precipitate and titrating with a suitable indicator). This method suffers from the same disadvantages as the Lane-Eynon method, neverthless, it is more reproducible and accurate.

Colorimetric Methods

The Anthrone method is an example of a colorimetric method of determining the concentration of the total sugars in a sample. Sugars react with the anthronereagent under acidic conditions to yield a blue-green color. The sample is mixed with sulfuric acid and the anthrone reagent and then boiled until the reaction is completed. The solution is then allowed to cool and its absorbance is measured at 620 nm. There is a linear relationship between the absorbance and the amount of sugar that was present in the original sample. This method determines both reducing and non-reducing sugars because of the presence of the strongly oxidizing sulfuric acid. Like the other methods it is non-stoichemetric and therefore it is necessary to prepare a calibration curve using a series of standards of known carbohydrate concentration.

The Phenol – Sulfuric Acid method is an example of a colorimetric method that is widely used to determine the total concentration of carbohydrates present in foods. A clear aqueous solution of the carbohydrates to be analyzed is placed in a test-tube, then phenol and sulfuric acid are added. The solution turns a yellow-orange color as a result of the interaction between the carbohydrates and the phenol. The absorbance at 420 nm is proportional to the carbohydrate concentration initially in the sample. The sulfuric acid causes all non-reducing sugars to be converted to reducing sugars, so that this method determines the total sugars present. This method is non-stoichemetric and so it is necessary to prepare a calibration curve using a series of standards of known carbohydrate concentration.

Enzymatic Methods

Analytical methods based on enzymes rely on their ability to catalyze specific reactions. These methods are rapid, highly specific and sensitive to low concentrations and are therefore ideal for determination of carbohydrates in foods. In addition, little sample preparation is usually required. Liquid foods can be tested directly, whereas solid foods have to be dissolved in water first. There are many enzyme assay kits which can be purchased commercially to carry out analysis for specific carbohydrates. Manufacturers of these kits provide detailed instructions on how to carry out the analysis. The two methods most commonly used to determine carbohydrate concentration are: (i) allowing the reaction to go to completion and measuring the concentration of the product, which is proportional to the concentration of the initial substrate; (ii).measuring the initial rate of the enzyme catalyzed reaction because the rate is proportional to the substrate concentration. Some examples of the use of enzyme methods to determine sugar concentrations in foods are given below:

D-Glucose/D-Fructose

This method uses a series of steps to determine the concentration of both glucose and fructose in a sample. First, glucose is converted to glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) by the enzyme hexakinase and ATP. Then, G6P is oxidized by NADP+ in the presence of G6P-dehydrogenase (G6P-DH)

����������� G6P + NADP+ �gluconate-6-phosphate + NADPH + H+

The amount of NADPH formed is proportional to the concentration of G6P in the sample and can be measuredspectrophotometrically at 340nm. The fructose concentration is then determined by converting the fructose into glucose, using another specific enzyme, and repeating the above procedure.

Maltose/Sucrose

The concentration of maltose and sucrose (disaccharides) in a sample can be determined after the concentration of glucose and fructose have been determined by the previous method. The maltose and sucrose are broken down into their constituent monosaccharides by the enzyme a-glucosidase:

����������� maltose + H2O � 2 glucose

����������� sucrose +H2O �glucose + fructose

The concentrations of glucose and fructose can then be determined by the previous method. The major problem with this method is that many other oligosaccharides are also converted to monosaccharides bya-glucosidase, and it is difficult to determine precisely which oligosaccharides are present. This method is therefore useful only when one knows the type of carbohydrates present, but not their relative concentrations. Various other enzymatic methods are available for determining the concentration of othermonosaccharides and oligosaccharides, e.g.,lactose, galactose and raffinose (see Food Analysis Nielssen).

Physical Methods

Many different physical methods have been used to determine the carbohydrate concentration of foods. These methods rely on their being a change in some physicochemical characteristic of a food as its carbohydrate concentration varies. Commonly used methods includepolarimetry, refractive index, IR, and density.

Polarimetry

Molecules that contain an asymmetric carbon atom have the ability to rotate plane polarized light. A polarimeter is a device that measures the angle that plane polarized light is rotated on passing through a solution. A polarimeter consists of a source of monochromatic light, a polarizer, a sample cell of known length, and an analyzer to measure the angle of rotation. The extent of polarization is related to the concentration of the optically active molecules in solution by the equation a = [a]lc, where a is the measured angle of rotation, [a] is the optical activity (which is a constant for each type of molecule), l is the pathlength and c is the concentration. The overall angle of rotation depends on the temperature and wavelength of light used and so these parameters are usually standardized to 20oC and 589.3 nm (the D-line for sodium). A calibration curve of a versus concentration is prepared using a series of solutions with known concentration, or the value of [a] is taken from the literature if the type of carbohydrates present is known. The concentration of carbohydrate in an unknown sample is then determined by measuring its angle of rotation and comparing it with the calibration curve.

Refractive Index

The refractive index (n) of a material is the velocity of light in a vacuum divided by the velocity of light in the material (n = c/cm). The refractive index of a material can be determined by measuring the angle of refraction (r) and angle of incidence (i) at a boundary between it and another material of known refractive index (Snell�s Law: sin(i)/sin(r) = n2/n1). In practice, the refractive index of carbohydrate solutions is usually measured at a boundary with quartz.� The refractive index of a carbohydrate solution increases with increasing concentration and so can be used to measure the amount of carbohydrate present. The RI is also temperature and wavelength dependent and so measurements are usually made at a specific temperature (20 oC) and wavelength (589.3nm). This method is quick and simple to carry out and can be performed with simple hand-held instruments. It is used routinely in industry to determine sugar concentrations of syrups, honey, molasses, tomato products and jams.