What is the reducing agent in alcoholic fermentation ?

Options

A. FADH
B. Ethanol
C. NADH + 'H^+'
D. 'CO_2'

Answer

To determine the reducing agent in alcoholic fermentation, let's break down the process step by step.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Alcoholic Fermentation**:
- Alcoholic fermentation is a metabolic process that converts sugars (like glucose) into alcohol (ethanol) and carbon dioxide. This process primarily occurs in yeast.

2. **Glycolysis**:
- The first step in alcoholic fermentation is glycolysis, where glucose is broken down into pyruvate. This process occurs in the cytoplasm and does not require oxygen (anaerobic).

3. **Conversion of Pyruvate**:
- After glycolysis, the pyruvate produced is then converted into ethanol during fermentation. This conversion involves the reduction of pyruvate.

4. **Role of NADH**:
- During glycolysis, NAD+ is reduced to NADH. In the fermentation process, NADH donates electrons to pyruvate, reducing it to ethanol. This means that NADH is acting as the reducing agent in this reaction.

5. **Final Products**:
- The end products of alcoholic fermentation are ethanol (alcohol) and carbon dioxide. While ethanol is the product, it does not act as a reducing agent.

6. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, the reducing agent in alcoholic fermentation is NADH.

### Final Answer:
The reducing agent in alcoholic fermentation is **NADH**.

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