Carbohydrate industrial applications

Eggleston, G. and Vercellotti, J.R. (eds) (2007) Industrial Applications of Enzymes on Carbohydrate-based Materials, ACS Symposium Series 6, Oxford University Press. 

Another potential site of reactivity for anhydrides in protein molecules is modification of any attached carbohydrate chains. In addition to amino group modification in the polypeptide chain, glycoproteins may be modified at their polysaccharide hydroxyl groups to form ester derivatives. Esterification of carbohydrates by acetic anhydride, especially cellulose, is a major industrial application for this compound. In aqueous solutions, however, esterification may be a minor product, since the oxygen of water is about as strong a nucleophile as the hydroxyls of sugar residues. 

By far the highest industrial potential for a fructose-based compound is to be attributed to HMF, which has been termed a key substance between carbohydrate chemistry and mineral-oil-based industrial organic chemistry. Like the bulk-scale commodities hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid, HMF represents a six-carbon compound with broad industrial application profiles. It is readily accessible from fructose or inulin hydrolysates by acid-induced elimination of three... 

Sugars, such as fructose and glucose from honey, have been harvested and processed by humans since the Stone Age [23], The use of sucrose as a sweetener dates back to the eighth century BC and could only be afforded by royalty and the very wealthy [24], More recently, these natural products become critical in a variety of industries focused on the production of paper, pulp, textiles, and pharmaceuticals. As often is the case, industrial applications ultimately provided the economic impetus for investigations into carbohydrate synthesis, purification, and characterization in the late nineteenth century. 

A unique plant on many levels, the distinctive properties of the Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) present novel answers to some of today s most pressing problems. Jerusalem artichoke is potentially a major source of inulin, a fructose polymer that provides dietary health benefits as a prebiotic that promotes intestinal health and as a low-calorie carbohydrate to combat obesity and diabetes. Inulin also has myriad industrial applications, including ethanol production — making Jerusalem artichoke a potential source of biofuel. With its ready cultivation and minimal pest and disease problems, Jerusalem artichoke is an underutilized resource that possesses the potential to meet major health and energy challenges. 

Phase compositions of VLLE in the systems glucose + acetone + water + carbon dioxide and carbohydrates + 2-propanol + water + carbon dioxide have been determined experimentally. Like for VLE of related systems from literature, the carbohydrate solubility in a phase rises when the phase becomes more similar to the water-rich lower liquid phase. At the same time separation of different carbohydrates becomes more difficult because selectivity decreases. Theoretically based models can help to find an optimum of capacity and selectivity and to minimize the number of necessary experiments. A simple model based on the Soave-Redlich-Kwong EOS which can reproduce glucose partitioning between the two liquid phases in VLLE in the glucose + acetone + water + carbon dioxide system is presented. 2-Propanol is shown to be a better modifier for these systems than acetone, but denaturation of carbohydrates in the carbohydrate + 2-propanol + water + carbon dioxide system limits industrial applications. 

Soybeans are comprised of (w/w), 40% protein, 30% carbohydrates, and 20% oil (5, 4). Currently, about 95% of soy protein is used in feed and 4% in food (for human consumption) applications. On the other hand, about 94% of soybean oil is used in food and only about 4% in industrial applications. Soybean oil is a triglyceride, which is a triester of glycerol and three fatty acids. The main fatty acid composition of soybean oil is (w/w) linoleic (54), oleic (23), and linolenic (8), (5). These fatty acids contain 1, 2, and 3 double bonds, respectively, in their hydrocarbon chains. These double bonds or unsaturations are reactive sites and allow for the development of soybean oil for various applications. 

The monosaccharides are the monomeric units of the high molecular weight carbohydrates. They are the actual carbohydrate raw material for the synthesis of organic chemicals with tailor-made industrial applications. In particularly, D-glucose and D-fructose are still by far the key compounds. 

The formose reaction has remained a subject of current interest in connection with possibility of its industrial application as well as with the speculations on the prebiotic synthesis of carbohydrates. Although the complex mixture of sugars and alditols produced in the base catalyzed condensation of formaldehyde. 

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