Carbohydrates, or sugars as they are commonly called, are one of the most frequently used natural macromolecules. Apart from being a major energy source for millions of species, these are also part of cellular structures. While carbohydrates are abundant in nature as a whole, certain sugars are not so common. Such sugars are called rare sugars ; L-Rhamnose being one of them.
What makes L-Rhamnose so unique ?
There are three features which make this molecule a very unique sugar. First, it is rare in nature, found in plant glycosides, and in lipopolysaccharides of some gram-negative bacteria. The second contrasting feature is its natural occurrence in L-isoform. Instead of the L-conformation, carbohydrate synthesis usually occurs to give the D-isoform. Thirdly, it is a deoxy sugar. These types of sugars are often involved in nucleotides synthesis (DNA and RNA).Occurrence in nature — plants and bacteria
It is an important structural component of certain plan cell walls. In some plants, these exist as simple sugars. However, in other several other plants, these occur as glycosides. Glycosides are compounds in which sugars are bound to another group, such as phenols. It is widely used by plants to form the polysaccharides, rhamnogalacturonans. These polymers are important for the structural integrity of plant cell walls, and include pectin — the substance that holds these cell walls together. As mentioned above, in gram-negative bacteria, L-Rhamnose is bound with lipids. Both the sugar itself and its lipid component, have various pharmaceutical, cosmetic and agricultural applications in the industry. Mycobacteria, a unique genre in its own rights, also have the sugar in its outer membrane. This genre includes the tuberculosis specie, and drugs targeting L-Rhamnose are being studied for clinical use. Several other bacteria also utilize the sugar, including the commercially used Pseudomonas aeruginosa.Industrial applications of L-Rhamnose
Major applications of the sugar include :- Production of cardiac drugs–The active components of cardiac drugs are often linked to L-Rhamnose, making it a raw material for production of these medicinal compounds. However, synthetic drugs are still in the research and development phase, and are yet to arrive in the market.
- Synthetic spices–The synthetic aroma Furaneol is made using this sugar. The compound itself holds an important place in the fruity spice product industry.
- Food additives–Being similar to ribose and glucose, it produces tasteful substances mixing with other food substances. These are responsible for developing five different species of flavor.
- Biochemical reagents–These are used in various experiments and procedures in research and other laboratories.
Availability at Watson International
Our company strives to provide you with the highest quality chemicals for various applications. We opt for readily available raw materials to ensure uninterrupted supply of L-Rhamnose that is not affected by season or other factors. Furthermore, we offer competitive market prices for top quality reagents. With unlimited capacity of supply, you can always depend on us ! Order L-Rhamnose monohydrate (CAS number-10030-85-0) or L-Rhamnopyranose (CAS number-3615-41-6) today for a number of applications !Most popular rare sugars available at Watson International
- L-Rhamnopyranose : http://watson-int.com/l-rhamnopyranose-cas-3615-41-6/
- L-Rhamnose monohydrate : http://watson-int.com/l-rhamnose-monohydrate-cas-10030-85-0/
- D-Mannose : http://watson-int.com/d-mannose-cas-3458-28-4/
- D-Galactose : http://watson-int.com/d-galactose-cas-59-23-4-2/