Who isolated fructose from grape juice in 1847?
French chemist Augustin-Pierre Dubrunfaut isolated fructose from grape juice in 1847. This substance was later named fructose by English chemist William Allen Miller in 1857.
Questions about Fructose
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the chemical structure of fructose in aqueous solutions?
In aqueous solutions, the six-membered fructopyranose form makes up 70% of the mixture while the five-membered fructofuranose form accounts for 22%. The five-membered ring is responsible for the intense sweetness perceived by the human tongue.
How is high-fructose corn syrup produced from maize?
Manufacturers hydrolyze starch from maize and convert the resulting glucose into fructose using the enzyme glucose isomerase. This process reaches a 1:1 ratio of glucose and fructose at 60 degrees Celsius.
Where does the body direct fructose after consumption?
The body directs fructose almost exclusively to the liver via the hepatic portal vein. The enzyme fructokinase traps the sugar by phosphorylating it into fructose 1-phosphate without requiring insulin.
Why does apple juice cause toddler's diarrhea?
Apple juice contains high levels of free fructose relative to glucose which enterocytes cannot absorb efficiently. The unabsorbed sugar creates high osmolarity in the small intestine that draws water into the gastrointestinal tract.
How does fructose react during cooking compared to glucose?
Fructose undergoes the Maillard reaction more rapidly than glucose because it exists to a greater extent in the open-chain form. This rapid onset contributes to the desirable browning of baked goods but can also lead to excessive browning and reduced volume.