Tuesday Lecture – Sugar
Reading: Textbook, Chapter 7, 8
Quiz
Quiz
1. We use the name “potato” for two different food crops,
the “Irish Potato” and the “Sweet Potato”. Which of these
is a root and which is a stem?
2. What are the two major crops that serve as the source
of sugar for people?
3. What plant is the topic of your plant project?
Sweets – A Plant Specialty
Sweets – A Plant Specialty
Sugar – chemist = carbohydrate, formula CH2O
Sweets – A Plant Specialty
Sugar – chemist = carbohydrate, formula CH2O
- many chemicals included in this category
Sweets – A Plant Specialty
Sugar – chemist = carbohydrate, formula CH2O
- many chemicals included in this category
Sugar – consumer – the specific sugar sucrose
2 units (disaccharide): glucose-fructose
Sweets – A Plant Specialty
Sugar – chemist = carbohydrate, formula CH2O
- many chemicals included in this category
Sugar – consumer – the specific sugar sucrose
2 units (disaccharide): glucose-fructose
Monosaccharides: glucose, fructose
Sweets – A Plant Specialty
Sugar – chemist = carbohydrate, formula CH2O
- many chemicals included in this category
Sugar – consumer – the specific sugar sucrose
2 units (disaccharide): glucose-fructose
Monosaccharides: glucose, fructose
Note – terminology can get confusing here – mixture of chemical
and colloquial terms:
Glucose = d-Glucose = Dextrose
Fructose + Glucose - bee sugar (in honey); “inverted” sugar
Primary Plant Sources of Sugar
sugar
Sugar Cane – Saccharum officinarum
10%
yield
10 tons/hectare
Primary Plant Sources of Sugar
sugar
yield
Sugar Cane – Saccharum officinarum
10%
10 tons/hectare
Sugar Beet – Beta vulgaris
17%
7 tons/hectare
Primary Plant Sources of Sugar
sugar
yield
Sugar Cane – Saccharum officinarum
10%
10 tons/hectare
Sugar Beet – Beta vulgaris
17%
7 tons/hectare
Sorghum – Sorghum bicolor
Palm – Phoenix dactylifera
Primary Plant Sources of Sugar
sugar
yield
Sugar Cane – Saccharum officinarum
10%
10 tons/hectare
Sugar Beet – Beta vulgaris
17%
7 tons/hectare
Sorghum – Sorghum bicolor
Palm – Phoenix dactylifera
Maple – Acer saccharum
8% (sap)
Where Sugar is Produced
Sugar Cane
Saccharum officinarum – member
of Poaceae (Grass family)
Native to: Polynesia
Harvesting Sugar Cane
Refining Sugar Cane
1. Cane solids are separated from juice
2. Juice is processed to concentrate sugar
3. Syrup is boiled and
sugar is crystallized
Sugar Cane Products
“Raw” Sugar – shipped to country where used, further refined there
Sugar Cane Products
“Raw” Sugar – shipped to country where used, further refined there
Sugar Types:
- standard crystals  “regular” sugar (crystal size can vary)
Sugar Cane Products
“Raw” Sugar – shipped to country where used, further refined there
Sugar Types:
- standard crystals  “regular” sugar (crystal size can vary)
- ground crystals (+ cornstarch)  powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
Sugar Cane Products
“Raw” Sugar – shipped to country where used, further refined there
Sugar Types:
- standard crystals  “regular” sugar (crystal size can vary)
- ground crystals (+ cornstarch)  powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
- crystals “glued” with sugar syrup  sugar cubes
Sugar Cane Products
“Raw” Sugar – shipped to country where used, further refined there
Sugar Types:
- standard crystals  “regular” sugar (crystal size can vary)
- ground crystals (+ cornstarch)  powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
- crystals “glued” with sugar syrup  sugar cubes
- crystals mixed with syrup from refining  brown sugar
Sugar Cane Products
“Raw” Sugar – shipped to country where used, further refined there
Sugar Types:
- standard crystals  “regular” sugar (crystal size can vary)
- ground crystals (+ cornstarch)  powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
- crystals “glued” with sugar syrup  sugar cubes
- crystals mixed with syrup from refining  brown sugar
- crystals mixed with glucose  “blended” sugar (cheaper)
Sugar Cane Products
“Raw” Sugar – shipped to country where used, further refined there
Sugar Types:
- standard crystals  “regular” sugar (crystal size can vary)
- ground crystals (+ cornstarch)  powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
- crystals “glued” with sugar syrup  sugar cubes
- crystals mixed with syrup from refining  brown sugar
- crystals mixed with glucose  “blended” sugar (cheaper)
Byproducts:
- Molasses
- syrups of various types
Sugar Cane – History
Sugar Cane – domesticated in New Guinea (?)
Sugar Cane – History
Sugar Cane – domesticated in New Guinea (?)
2992 B.C. – unrefined sugar being produced in India
Sugar Cane – History
Sugar Cane – domesticated in New Guinea (?)
2992 B.C. – unrefined sugar being produced in India
642 A.D. – Arab-speaking peoples get sugar refining from Persia
Sugar Cane – History
Sugar Cane – domesticated in New Guinea (?)
2992 B.C. – unrefined sugar being produced in India
642 A.D. – Arab-speaking peoples get sugar refining from Persia
11th Century - Crusaders bring sugar to Europe (1099 in England)
Sugar Cane – History
Sugar Cane – domesticated in New Guinea (?)
2992 B.C. – unrefined sugar being produced in India
642 A.D. – Arab-speaking peoples get sugar refining from Persia
11th Century - Crusaders bring sugar to Europe (1099 in England)
Medieval times – Sugar = White Gold (1319 - $220/lb in England)
Sugar Cane – History
Sugar Cane – domesticated in New Guinea (?)
2992 B.C. – unrefined sugar being produced in India
642 A.D. – Arab-speaking peoples get sugar refining from Persia
11th Century - Crusaders bring sugar to Europe (1099 in England)
Medieval times – Sugar = White Gold (1319 - $220/lb in England)
1493 – Columbus takes sugar cane to West Indies
Sugar Cane – History
Sugar Cane – domesticated in New Guinea (?)
2992 B.C. – unrefined sugar being produced in India
642 A.D. – Arab-speaking peoples get sugar refining from Persia
11th Century - Crusaders bring sugar to Europe (1099 in England)
Medieval times – Sugar = White Gold (1319 - $220/lb in England)
1493 – Columbus takes sugar cane to West Indies
1700’s – American “Sugar Triangle” (sugar, rum, slaves)
Sugar Cane – History
Sugar Cane – domesticated in New Guinea (?)
2992 B.C. – unrefined sugar being produced in India
642 A.D. – Arab-speaking peoples get sugar refining from Persia
11th Century - Crusaders bring sugar to Europe (1099 in England)
Medieval times – Sugar = White Gold (1319 - $220/lb in England)
1493 – Columbus takes sugar cane to West Indies
1700’s – American “Sugar Triangle” (sugar, rum, slaves)
1700’s – Sugar taxation  Revolution
Sugar Cane – History
Sugar Cane – domesticated in New Guinea (?)
2992 B.C. – unrefined sugar being produced in India
642 A.D. – Arab-speaking peoples get sugar refining from Persia
11th Century - Crusaders bring sugar to Europe (1099 in England)
Medieval times – Sugar = White Gold (1319 - $220/lb in England)
1493 – Columbus takes sugar cane to West Indies
1700’s – American “Sugar Triangle” (sugar, rum, slaves)
1700’s – Sugar taxation  Revolution
1800’s – Sugar beet provides competition in temperate areas
Currently: sugar production subsidized, taxed, politicized
Napoleon Sweetens the Pot –
Sugar Beet
Beta vulgaris – Chenopodiaceae
(Goosefoot Family)
Sugar Beet Processing
Lewistown, Idaho Sugar Factory, 1905
Caption to Photo:
10 year old boys
can be very useful
Where Sugar is Produced
North American Sweetener
Acer saccharum – Sugar Maple
Maple Syrup
Sap is collected in early spring
Sap is boiled in “sugar house”
40 gallons sap  1 gallon syrup
Glucose, Fructose - C6H12O6
glucose
fructose
fructose - “chair”
sucrose
Glucose, Fructose - C6H12O6
glucose
fructose
fructose - “chair”
sucrose
Starch - amylose
Glucose, Fructose - C6H12O6
glucose
fructose
fructose - “chair”
sucrose
High Fructose Corn Syrup
1. Starch from Corn
2. Treat with alpha-amylase 
oligosaccharides
3. Treat with glucoamylase  glucose
4. Treat with glucose isomerase 
mixture of glucose and fructose
5. Enrichment, “back-blending” to
produce final product
Starch - amylose
Glucose, Fructose - C6H12O6
glucose
fructose
fructose - “chair”
sucrose
High Fructose Corn Syrup
1. Starch from Corn
2. Treat with alpha-amylase 
oligosaccharides
3. Treat with glucoamylase  glucose
4. Treat with glucose isomerase 
mixture of glucose and fructose
5. Enrichment, “back-blending” to
produce final product
Starch - amylose
Non-caloric Sweeteners from Plants
Glycyrrhizin – from licorice root (Glycyrrhiza, a legume)
- Used originally to make licorice candy
- 30 x as sweet as table sugar
- more than limited consumption has health effects
- potential as an herbal medicine in anti-cancer treatments
Non-caloric Sweeteners from Plants
Glycyrrhizin – from licorice root (Glycyrrhiza, a legume)
- Used originally to make licorice candy
- 30 x as sweet as table sugar
- more than limited consumption has health effects
- potential as an herbal medicine in anti-cancer treatments
Stevia – from sweetleaf plant, Stevia
- Widespread use in Japan
- regulatory issues, starting to be used elsewhere
Non-caloric Sweeteners from Plants
Glycyrrhizin – from licorice root (Glycyrrhiza, a legume)
- Used originally to make licorice candy
- 30 x as sweet as table sugar
- more than limited consumption has health effects
- potential as an herbal medicine in anti-cancer treatments
Stevia – from sweetleaf plant, Stevia
- Widespread use in Japan
- regulatory issues, starting to be used elsewhere
Miraculin – protein from miracle fruit, Synsepalum
- Not sweet, but modifies taste receptors so foods are sweet
Tuesday March 8 – optional assignment. Due Tuesday
March 22.
Write a brief paragraph, using proper English grammar, that
explains: What was the “Sugar Trade Triangle” - what were
the major elements (both geographical and trading items)?
How did it impact the history of the U.S.A.?