Complex carbohydrates as functional food ingredients MCQs With Answer

Complex carbohydrates as functional food ingredients are essential for B.Pharm students studying the intersection of nutrition, pharmaceutics, and formulation science. This topic covers polysaccharides, resistant starches, non‑starch polysaccharides and modified carbohydrates that contribute dietary fiber, prebiotic effects, viscosity modulation, gelation and controlled‑release functionalities. Key keywords include complex carbohydrates, polysaccharides, dietary fiber, prebiotics, excipients, nutraceuticals, glycemic response, and physicochemical properties. Students should master structural features, common sources (cellulose, pectin, alginate, chitosan, inulin), analytical characterization, safety/regulatory aspects, and practical roles as binders, disintegrants, stabilizers and film‑formers in drug and food formulations. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.

Q1. Which structural feature distinguishes resistant starch from rapidly digestible starch?

• Higher degree of branching in amylopectin
• Tighter granular structure and crystalline regions
• Higher amylose-lipid complex formation
• Increased phosphorylation of glucose units

Correct Answer: Tighter granular structure and crystalline regions

Q2. Which complex carbohydrate is widely used as a prebiotic in nutraceutical formulations?

• Pectin
• Inulin
• Alginate
• Cellulose acetate

Correct Answer: Inulin

Q3. Which polysaccharide is commonly used as a tablet binder and film former due to its water-soluble cellulose derivative?

• Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)
• Chitosan
• Pullulan
• Pectin

Correct Answer: Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)

Q4. Which technique is most suitable for determining monosaccharide composition after hydrolysis of a polysaccharide?

• Gel permeation chromatography
• High-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD)
• Dynamic light scattering
• Thermogravimetric analysis

Correct Answer: High-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD)

Q5. Which property of pectin is primarily responsible for its gelling behavior in food and pharmaceutical formulations?

• High crystalline order
• Molecular weight distribution
• Degree of methylation and presence of calcium ions
• Acetylation of hydroxyl groups

Correct Answer: Degree of methylation and presence of calcium ions

Q6. Chitosan is valued in drug delivery because of which characteristic?

• Strong negative charge at physiological pH
• Ability to form polyelectrolyte complexes and mucoadhesion
• High solubility in organic solvents
• Resistance to enzymatic degradation in the gut

Correct Answer: Ability to form polyelectrolyte complexes and mucoadhesion

Q7. Which complex carbohydrate can reduce postprandial glycemic response when incorporated into food?

• Highly branched amylopectin
• Resistant starch
• Sucrose
• High-fructose corn syrup

Correct Answer: Resistant starch

Q8. Alginate beads are commonly used for encapsulation because alginate undergoes gelation in presence of which ion?

• Sodium
• Potassium
• Calcium
• Magnesium

Correct Answer: Calcium

Q9. Which modified starch technique increases thermal and shear stability for use in processed foods and pharmaceutical suspensions?

• Cross-linking
• Depolymerization
• Acid hydrolysis
• Enzymatic branching

Correct Answer: Cross-linking

Q10. Which analytical method provides information about functional groups in polysaccharides and can indicate chemical modification?

• Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy
• Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy
• Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC)
• Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)

Correct Answer: Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy

Q11. Dietary fibers that are fermentable and stimulate beneficial gut microbiota are classified as:

• Non-fermentable insoluble fibers
• Soluble fermentable fibers (prebiotics)
• Synthetic polysaccharide excipients
• Non-digestible lipids

Correct Answer: Soluble fermentable fibers (prebiotics)

Q12. Which cellulose derivative is commonly used as a controlled-release matrix polymer in oral tablets?

• Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)
• Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC)
• Sodium carboxymethyl starch
• Pectin

Correct Answer: Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)

Q13. The term ‘functional food ingredient’ best describes a complex carbohydrate that:

• Only provides calories without other effects
• Has specific physiological benefits beyond basic nutrition
• Is synthetic and non-biodegradable
• Always increases blood glucose rapidly

Correct Answer: Has specific physiological benefits beyond basic nutrition

Q14. Which polysaccharide is derived from brown seaweed and used as an emulsion stabilizer and wound dressing component?

• Agar
• Alginate
• Pectin
• Inulin

Correct Answer: Alginate

Q15. In assessing the viscosity contribution of a polysaccharide in solution, which parameter is most directly measured?

• Intrinsic viscosity
• Melting point
• pKa
• Glass transition temperature

Correct Answer: Intrinsic viscosity

Q16. Which complex carbohydrate is positively charged and used for wound healing and as a mucoadhesive polymer?

• Chitosan
• Cellulose
• Pectin
• Alginate

Correct Answer: Chitosan

Q17. Resistant starch is classified into types RS1–RS4. Which type refers to chemically modified starch (e.g., cross-linked) that resists digestion?

• RS1
• RS2
• RS3
• RS4

Correct Answer: RS4

Q18. Which factor most directly affects the gel strength of a pectin gel?

• Molecular weight of pectin only
• Ambient humidity during storage
• Degree of esterification and sugar concentration
• Presence of proteases

Correct Answer: Degree of esterification and sugar concentration

Q19. Which FDA-recognized health claim relates to a soluble fiber reducing risk of heart disease when included in the diet?

• Decrease in bone fractures
• Reduction of LDL cholesterol by soluble fiber like beta‑glucan
• Improvement in visual acuity
• Immediate reduction of blood pressure

Correct Answer: Reduction of LDL cholesterol by soluble fiber like beta‑glucan

Q20. Which polysaccharide is a neutral, water-soluble film-forming polymer used in fast-dissolving oral films?

• Sodium alginate
• Pullulan
• Guar gum
• Microcrystalline cellulose

Correct Answer: Pullulan

Q21. Which enzymatic assay is commonly used to quantify starch content in foods or formulations?

• Alpha-amylase and amyloglucosidase hydrolysis followed by glucose assay
• Lipase digestion followed by GC analysis
• Protease digestion and Kjeldahl nitrogen measurement
• Cellulase treatment and fatty acid methyl ester analysis

Correct Answer: Alpha-amylase and amyloglucosidase hydrolysis followed by glucose assay

Q22. In formulation, which carbohydrate additive functions mainly as a disintegrant in tablets?

• Microcrystalline cellulose (as filler-binder)
• Croscarmellose sodium
• High amylose starch (for sustained release)
• Pullulan (film former)

Correct Answer: Croscarmellose sodium

Q23. Which property of dietary fiber is most associated with lowering cholesterol absorption?

• High insolubility
• Viscosity in the intestinal lumen
• Sweet taste
• Oxidative stability

Correct Answer: Viscosity in the intestinal lumen

Q24. Which analytical technique is best for determining molecular weight distribution of polysaccharides?

• Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) coupled with multi-angle light scattering (MALS)
• UV-Vis spectroscopy at 280 nm
• Flame photometry
• Polarimetry

Correct Answer: Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) coupled with multi-angle light scattering (MALS)

Q25. Which polysaccharide is widely used as a stabilizer and thickener in suspensions and is extracted from guar beans?

• Guar gum
• Agarose
• Pectin
• Dextran

Correct Answer: Guar gum

Q26. The prebiotic effect of a carbohydrate is defined by its ability to:

• Be digested in the stomach
• Specifically stimulate growth/activity of beneficial gut microorganisms
• Act as a direct antimicrobial agent
• Increase serum insulin dramatically

Correct Answer: Specifically stimulate growth/activity of beneficial gut microorganisms

Q27. Carbohydrate-based hydrogels used for controlled drug release respond to which stimuli in smart delivery systems?

• Only ultraviolet radiation
• pH, temperature, ionic strength
• Magnetic fields exclusively
• Protein-binding exclusively

Correct Answer: pH, temperature, ionic strength

Q28. Which statement about inulin is correct?

• It is a highly digestible glucose polymer
• It is a fructan that acts as a prebiotic and resists small intestinal digestion
• It is primarily lipid-based and soluble in organic solvents
• It is identical to cellulose in structure and function

Correct Answer: It is a fructan that acts as a prebiotic and resists small intestinal digestion

Q29. When selecting a polysaccharide excipient, which physicochemical parameter is least relevant?

• Interaction with active pharmaceutical ingredient (API)
• Effect on tablet mechanical strength
• Thermal properties related to processing
• Color of the polymer in solid form (unless critical to product aesthetics)

Correct Answer: Color of the polymer in solid form (unless critical to product aesthetics)

Q30. Which regulatory consideration is most important when using a novel complex carbohydrate as a food ingredient or excipient?

• Consumer taste preferences only
• GRAS status, safety/toxicity data, and approved usage limits
• Ease of synthesis without any safety testing
• Color matching with packaging

Correct Answer: GRAS status, safety/toxicity data, and approved usage limits

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