Fructose absorption

GALACTOSE AND FRUCTOSE ABSORPTION THROUGH GLUCOSE TRANSPORTERS... 

Fructose is found in the diet as a component of sucrose in fruit, as a free sugar in honey, and in high-fructose com symp (see Fig. 29.1). Fmctose enters epithelial cells and other types of cells by facilitated diffusion on the GLUT V transporter. It is metabolized to intermediates of glycolysis. Problems with fructose absorption and metabolism are relatively more common than with other sugars. 

Fig. 1 Absorption curve of a chromatogram track with 4 pg of each substance per chromatogram zone. Rhamnose (1), xylose (2), arabinose (3), fructose (4).

Fig. 1 Absorption scan (A) and fluorescence scan (B) of a chromatogram track with 200 ng sugar per chromatogram zone raffmose (1), lactose (2) sucrose (3), glucose (4) and fructose...

In the body, this reaction is reversed by the enzyme sucrase. This occurs in digestion, which makes glucose and fructose available for absorption into the blood. Honey bees also carry an enzyme that can hydrolyze sucrose. Honey consists mostly of a 1 1 mol mixture of glucose and fructose with a small amount of unreacted sucrose. 

Fig. 1 (A) Chromatographic separation of sugars. Track 1 fructose, 2 sucrose, 3 glucose, 4 mixture of the substances in tracks 1-3, 5 mixture of substances in tracks 1-3 and 6, 6 Fructo-oligosaccharides, 7 1-kestose, 8 mixture of glucose, maltose, maltotriose and maltotetraose. (B) Absorption scan of track 5 with 200 ng each substance per chromatogram zone 1 = fructosyl-nystose, 2 = nystose, 3 = 1-kestose, 4 = fructose, 5 = sucrose, 6 = glucose.

Inorganic iron is absorbed only in the (reduced) state, and for that reason the presence of reducing agents will enhance absorption. The most effective compound is vitamin C, and while intakes of 40-60 mg of vitamin C per day are more than adequate to meet requirements, an intake of 25-50 mg per meal will enhance iron absorption, especially when iron salts are used to treat iron deficiency anemia. Ethanol and fructose also enhance iron absorption. Heme iron from meat is absorbed separately and is considerably more available than inorganic iron. However, the absorption of both inorganic and heme iron is impaired by calcium—a glass of milk with a meal significantly reduces availabiUty. 

Glucose and galactose enter the absorptive cells by way of secondary active transport. Cotransport carrier molecules associated with the disaccharidases in the brush border transport the monosaccharide and a Na+ ion from the lumen of the small intestine into the absorptive cell. This process is referred to as "secondary" because the cotransport carriers operate passively and do not require energy. However, they do require a concentration gradient for the transport of Na+ ions into the cell. This gradient is established by the active transport of Na+ ions out of the absorptive cell at the basolateral surface. Fructose enters the absorptive cells by way of facilitated diffusion. All monosaccharide molecules exit the absorptive cells by way of facilitated diffusion and enter the blood capillaries. 

The ultraviolet absorption spectra of compounds II from D-glucose and XI from D-fructose show an absorption band at 250 m/j, in accordance with their furan character.9 The product of periodate oxidation (V) and the dimethyl ester of the derived dicarboxylic acid (III) absorb at 285 and 262 m/i, respectively. The anhydrides of the condensates, XXXIV, do not exhibit selective absorption in the ultraviolet region, but the product of their oxidation (XXXVI) with periodic acid shows8 a band at about 270 m/i. 

D-Xylose was found to yield 2-furaldehyde almost exclusively, but D-lyxose, D-ribose, and L-arabinose produce another, as yet unidentified, compound absorbing at 289 nm, which is the maximum absorption wavelength for reductic acid. D-Glucose, D-fructose, and sucrose give almost identical yields (—85%) of 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-fural-dehyde, but D-galactose and D-mannose give much lower yields thereof. 

D-glucose, and 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furaldehyde with anthrone lends support to these conclusions, and further indicates the complexity of the overall reaction. In the reaction of either D-fructose or 5-(hy-droxymethyl)-2-furaldehyde with anthrone, at least nine compounds were observed, three of which were condensation products of anthrone itself. The other products had absorption maxima ranging from 490 to 770 nm (in sulfuric acid solution and under the conditions of the anthrone reaction). One of the prominent pigments, having a blue color ( max 620 nm) and a postulated structure corresponding to compound 123, was isolated and characterized by its nuclear magnetic... 

The extent to which the 4-thioaldoses are in the furanose forms is not certain. It has been claimed that 4-thio-L-ribose143 and 4-thio-D-glu-cose144 are completely in furanose forms, because they show no thiol absorption at 2550 cm-1 in their i.r. spectrum. This evidence is not convincing in the syrupy state, the composition may be different from that in dilute solution. The 13C-n.m.r. spectrum of a solution of 5-thio-D-fructose, however, shows141 only the signals of the two furanose forms, in the ratio of 11 89, at 25°. The -n.m.r. spectrum of a solution of... 

Source and kinds of disaccharidases The final digestive processes occur at the mucosal lining of the small intestine. Several disaccharidases [for example, lactase (p-galactosidase), sucrase, maltase, and isomal-tase] produce monosaccharides (glucose, galactose, and fructose). These enzymes are secreted by and remain associated with the luminal side of the brush border membranes of intestinal mucosal cells. Absorption of the monosaccharides requires specific trans porters. 

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