Page 83 - PG 504-theoretical notes-phyto-1-2024-2025..

Clinical pharmacy PharmD program Third level Phytochemistry-1 (PG-504)

1) Sucrose= sugar, saccharose, cane-sugar or beat sugar

• It is also known as sugar, saccharose, cane-sugar or beat sugar.

• Having α 1 ➔ β 2 glycosidic linkage

• It occurs in many members of the plant kingdoms. Commercial sources are:
o Sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum, family Geraminae = Poaceae).

o Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris, family cruciferae).

• Plants store starch in roots, tubers, and leafy parts, mainly during photosynthetic

activity; some plants, such as sugar beets and sugar cane, also store sucrose.

Properties:

• Anhydrous crystalline solid, very soluble in water.

• When heated over its melting point (to 210 C), it undergoes partial
o
decomposition to form caramel (light brown amorphous substance that used to

color sweets).

o
• It is dextrorotatory (specific rotation = + 66.5 ).

Chemically, it is: -D-Glucopyranosyl--D-fructofuranoside. Or

-D-Fructofuranosyl--D-glucopyransoide.

Preparation: (from sugar cane, Saccharum officinarum)

• The juice of sugar cane (18% sucrose) is made very slightly alkaline by lime,

heated; the formed scum and the precipitated impurities are separated.

• The clear juice is evaporated under vacuum and the crystallized raw sugar is

separated. The left liquor is known as molasses.

• The raw sugar is then refined by washing in centrifugal then dissolved and

filtered.

• The filtered solution is decolorized by passage through columns filled with

activated animal charcoal.

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