Talk:Raffinose

message: The MW is listed as 504.2.
The MW of maltotriose is listed as 504.437.
raffinose and maltotriose have identical formula, C18H32O16, should have the same mass.
There was a recent update on the molecular masses of all chemical elements.
Is anyone updating the exact masses accordint to the new values? If so, the updated MW should be marked as such.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.247.199.50 (talk) 17:22, 1 November 2011 (UTC)
thread_title: MW

message: The main reference entry for this sugar seems to be for the non-hydrated form (i.e. the cristalline one). But most natural forms (notably in food) are hydrated (penthydrates) even whe nthey keep the three peroxyde cycles in the three component base sugars (the linear chain form also exists in water solutions where the alpha/beta chiral forms are freed (and not distinguished at higher temperatures).
The European CHA reference separates the cristaline form from the hydrated (pentahydrate) forms under separate entries. The later (hydrated form is the one used in food. The cristaline form is only available in refined cristaline powder for conservation and preparation of food, but any exposure to air will rapidly turn the cristal to hydrated form, but solutions (sirups) are also used where almost everything is fully hydrated. In practice, the base formula where the cristal is almost compeltely form with no free chains and all peroxyde cycles are formed and hydroxydes or methyls are oriented is difficult to observe in food (even dessicated food such as baked cooks), the pentahydrated form is highly prevalent.
The molar mass is also given for the critaline form, but does not apply to the hydrated form. The melting or boiling temperature also changes whever this sugar is hydrated or not.
The optical properties (chirality) is only observable in the cristline form (non hydrated), because any hydrataion will no longer preserve the regularity of the cristal. Data about solubility in water is about the cristaline form, and the solution will turn the product into only hydrated forms.
In summary it's difficult to separate the properties. The names assigned are ambiguously refering to both forms (notably the short terms including "raffinose" or "rafinosa") which are actually separate products with quite different properties. The hydratation of the cristaline form requires energy and is quite slow (but is accelerated by the presence of an acid, such as natural vinegar, but slowed in alcohol).
The solution of the cristal in pure alcohol (> 98%, without any infection by microorganisms that could turn the alcohol into acids) is almost impossible to see and the cristals will remain stable and almost insoluble. But as any alchol contains some water and air and as some bioorganisms, you may finaly observe a solution (which could take very long to start, before the organisms start to use the sugar and turn alcohol to into aldeides then acids). The solutions in hydrated alchol are quite different from the solution in pure water.
In addition the ingestion of the non-hydrated form can cause digestive problems (notably inflammations): only the hydrated forms in solutions are suitable for food: this sugar must first be conserved in packs exposed to air: the cristals will be amorphe, and opaque (white if raffinated, brown if not raffinated where there will be extra contents), while the non-hydrated form will be transparent (and are probably dangerous to ingest directly), but will be easier to conserve for very long time in closed cans or bottles (rather than in cartons or paper packs used for food and that will progressively be infected by microorganisms transforming the product by converting it into potentially toxic aldeides, and then alcohols).
Shouldn't we create separate entries for the non-hydrated cristaline raffinose, and the pentahydrated raffinose suitable for food ? Or create two sections in this article ? 17:44, 11 September 2017 (UTC)
thread_title:  Two components 

message: It seems like the current monosaccharide order in the picture is fructose-galactose-glucose (and in the alternate names as well), but it seems to me this should be fructose-glucose-galactose in order to be able to produce sucrose (fructose-glucose).  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 39.7.14.233 (talk) 15:17, 21 June 2020 (UTC)
thread_title:  Monosaccharide order 

message: — Assignment last updated by UBC24 AT (talk) 04:22, 1 April 2024 (UTC)
thread_title: Wiki Education assignment: CHEM 300