The composition of polysaccharides: monosaccharides and binding, group decorating, polysaccharides chains

Carbohydrate is a biomolecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) atoms usually with a hydrogen and oxygen atom in ratio 2:1 and whose general formula is as Cx(H2O)y. It is a general term that includes monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides as well as their derivatives. Glucose is the most common monosaccharide with the molecular formula C6H12O6 and found in every form of life and structure. It exists in various forms such as open-chain and closed-chain structures. Monosaccharide can be classified based on the number of carbon atoms and the types of carbonyl group attached. Oligosaccharides are the sugars with few numbers of monosaccharides units joined by a glycosidic bond. The most common examples include sucrose, lactose, and maltose, and they can be classified as disaccharide and trisaccharide. On the other hand, polysaccharides or nanopolysaccharides are the polymers of simple sugars (monosaccharide). Polysaccharides solubility varies very rapidly some are easily soluble in cold water and some others are insoluble but some are soluble in hot water. Common examples of polysaccharides are cellulose, starch, and chitin. They can be classified as homopolysaccharides and heteropolysaccharides based on the sugar molecules. Due to their unique and excellent properties, nanopolysaccharides have been widely used in a variety of areas, including stabilizing agents in diet meals, active components in cosmetic products, and important substances in polymer composites. They also have been widely used as coating materials due to the interesting nanoscale dimension, abundant surface functional groups, low gas permeability, and excellent mechanical properties. The polysaccharide may contain, in addition to the monosaccharide unit, ester or ether of cyclic acetal as the decorating group. Polysaccharide composed of different units linked by various α and β linkages in the main or side branch. Polysaccharide chains may be of four types, namely primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure, and different types of binding groups and linkages are found in these chains.