Sucrose Properties, Biosynthesis and Health Implications

Sucrose is the organic compound commonly known as table sugar and sometimes called saccharose. The molecule is a disaccharide composed of glucose and fructose with the molecular formula C12H22O11. A white, odourless, crystalline powder with a sweet taste, it is best known for its nutritional role, but its applications cover a wide array of disciplines. This book examines how sucrose plays an important role in different scientific areas. The research on sucrose represents important scientific challenges, whose solution has wide impact on a variety of issues. From a conceptual point of view, this research stands at the crossroads of many scientific sectors, such as physics, chemistry, biology and food science and has implications in several disciplines, e.g., pharmacology, toxicology, nanotechnology and medicine.