Sucrose

This is one of the most common plant-based carbohydrates in nature. Sucrose is the sugar of sugar beets, sugar canes. It is found in the juices and fruits of various plants. Sucrose is a disaccharide composed of α-D-glucopyranose and β-D-fructofuranose linked by a 1,2-glycosidic bond, with the molecular formula C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁:

Sucrose is a sweet, preservative, and nerve-stimulating product that dissolves well in water, but slowly (quickly in hot water). The molecule of sucrose is formed by the reaction of two glycosidic hydroxyls, so the residues of glucose and fructose in the sucrose molecule are in acetal forms. There is no free hemiacetal hydroxyl group in the sucrose molecule, so it has only a cyclic structure, is not prone to mutarotation, and does not have a reducing effect.

Source | Glossary of Most Commonly Used Biomedical Terms and Concepts | Lithuanian University of Health Sciences | Academician Professor Antanas Praškevičius, Professor Laima Ivanovienė