In disaccharides, reducing sugars have free aldehydic or ketonic groups, such as maltose and lactose. Non-reducing sugars, like sucrose, involve these functional groups in glycosidic bond formation.
Differentiate between reducing and non-reducing sugars in disaccharides, providing examples for each.
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Reducing sugars in disaccharides contain a free anomeric carbon that can undergo a redox reaction, reducing other substances. Examples include maltose (α-1,4-glycosidic linkage) and lactose (β-1,4-glycosidic linkage). Non-reducing sugars lack a free anomeric carbon due to the formation of a glycosidic linkage, preventing them from acting as reducing agents. An example is sucrose (α,β-1,2-glycosidic linkage), formed by glucose and fructose. The anomeric carbons in glucose and fructose are involved in the glycosidic bond, making sucrose a non-reducing disaccharide. The distinction is vital in carbohydrate biochemistry and has implications in functional and structural aspects of these molecules.