what is reducing sugar and non reducing sugar
what is isomer and epimer
Answers
1. A reducing sugar is any sugar that is capable of acting as a reducing agent. In an alkaline solution, a reducing sugar forms some aldehyde or ketone, which allows it to act as a reducing agent, for example in Benedict's reaction. In such a reaction, the sugar becomes a carboxylic acid.
. A nonreducing sugar is a carbohydrate that is not oxidized by a weak oxidizing agent (an oxidizing agent that oxidizes aldehydes but not alcohols, such as the Tollen's reagent) in basic aqueous solution. ... eg: sucrose, which contains neither a hemiacetal group nor a hemiketal group and, therefore, is stable in water.
2. Isomers are molecules that have the same molecular formula, but have a different arrangement of the atoms in space. That excludes any different arrangements which are simply due to the molecule rotating as a whole, or rotating about particular bonds.
. Epimers are carbohydrates which vary in one position for the placement of the -OH group.