Question

Name the enzyme that catalyse hydrolysis of sucrose to glucose and fructose.

Answer 1

This enzyme is derived from the yeast and is nowadays used commercially. It is mainly used for manufacturing invertase cane sugar, where enzymes are used.

Complete answer:
Invertase is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of sucrose into glucose and fructose. Invertase is also called saccharase, beta-h- fructosidase, invertin, alkaline invertase, acid invertase etc. The systematic name of invertase is called beta- fructofuranosidase.
For industrial use, invertase is usually derived from the yeast. It is synthesized by the bees and is usually used to make honey from nectar. Optimal temperature at which the rate of reaction is at its greatest is 60 degree C and pH is 4.5.
Sugarcane is sucrose basically and it is a dexto- rotatory with a specific angle of rotation is +62.5. In this process, the enzyme invertase helps sucrose undergo hydrolysis to give alpha- D(+) glucose and beta- D(-) fructose as products. The solutes contain more levo rotatory fructose whose angle of specific rotation is around -92.2 hence the product is called as invert sugar and the process is called as inversion of cane sugar.

Note:
Invertase actually goes back from the past several years. It is a mixture of glucose and fructose that is obtained by splitting sucrose into the two components. The mixture is often sold up in the market as a viscous liquid which is called invert syrup. As compared to sucrose, inverted sugar is much sweeter and its products retain much moisture and are less prone to crystallization.