Question:

Carbohydrates are optically active polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones or the compounds which produce such units on hydrolysis. They have been broadly classified into three groups - monosaccharides, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides. The carbohydrates may also be classified as either reducing or non-reducing sugars. An important monosaccharide glucose is an aldohexose and is correctly named as D(+)-glucose. It was assigned the open structure on the basis of its reactions with HI, \(\mathrm{NH_2OH}\), \(\mathrm{Br_2}\) water, \(\mathrm{(CH_3CO)_2O}\) and nitric acid.

Despite having the - CHO group, glucose does not give Schiff's test and hydrogen sulphite addition product with \(\mathrm{NaHSO_3}\). It was found that glucose forms a six-membered ring in which one of the - OH groups add to the - CHO group and form a cyclic hemiacetal structure.

Answer the following questions :

What type of carbohydrates are called reducing sugars ?

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Reducing sugars reduce Tollens' reagent and Fehling's solution because they have a free aldehyde, ketone or hemiacetal group.
Updated On: Oct 22, 2026
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Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Sugars are grouped as reducing or non-reducing by their behaviour with mild oxidising agents. The two common reagents are Fehling's solution and Tollens' reagent.

Step 2: State the definition:
Carbohydrates that reduce Fehling's solution and Tollens' reagent are called reducing sugars.
They can do this because they have a free aldehydic or ketonic group, or a free hemiacetal -OH group that can open to give one.
They give a red precipitate of \(\mathrm{Cu_2O}\) with Fehling's solution and a silver mirror with Tollens' reagent.

Step 3: Examples:
Glucose, fructose, maltose and lactose are reducing sugars.
Sucrose is non-reducing, because the anomeric carbons of both its units are used in the glycosidic bond.

Final Answer:
Reducing sugars are carbohydrates that reduce Fehling's solution and Tollens' reagent because they have a free aldehyde, ketone or hemiacetal group.
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