Calorimetric solution properties of simple saccharides and their significance for the stabilization of biological structure and function

Thermodynamic and kinetic quantities were measured for 13 common saccharide s: cellobiose, gentiobiose, glucose, lactose, lactulose, leucrose, maltose, melibiose, palatinose, raffinose, sucrose, trehalose, and turanose. Thermo dynamic data included heats of solution (in water) of the amorphous and cry stalline solids and melting temperatures. The glass transition temperature (T-g) and the increase in heat capacity at T-g were measured for each rigor ously dried product. Many of these data were previously unavailable. We pro vided an interpretation of the heat of solution of the amorphous saccharide s in terms of their capacity to hydrogen bond to water. A correlation was n oted between the heats of solution of the amorphous carbohydrates and their T-g values. Furthermore, a thermodynamic analysis was performed to obtain values of the Gibbs free energy change for the amorphous-to-crystalline tra nsformation at 25 degrees C.