Carbohydrate and glycoprotein analysis

Carbohydrates, also known as sugars or carbohydrates, represent, along with proteins, lipids and nucleic acids, one of the four major classes of constituents of living matter. They have always been the subject of active research, mainly because of their economic importance, and in this respect, the industry for high glycopolymers such as starch, cellulose, gums and pectins developed as early as the 19th century. But this economic interest was soon joined by a biological one, due, for example, to the fact that glucose and glycogen are, for humans, a source of energy for the former and an energy reserve for the latter. Very early on, a glycopathology was born linked to disorders in the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism, as in the case of diabetes. Finally, and more recently, the discovery that certain complex carbohydrates - in particular those used to make up cell membranes - carry messages and play an essential role in the social life of cells, brought carbohydrates into the realm of molecular biology. Over the years, this has given rise to the term "glycotechnology", which covers all techniques for producing carbohydrates of economic interest, particularly in the health and agri-food sectors.

Carbohydrates are classified into simple carbohydrates (monosaccharides) and their condensation products (glycosides).