Answer to Question #209599 in Biochemistry for Dhruv

Question

Write a short note on mutarotation

Answer 1

Mutarotation is a spontaneous change in the optical rotation that occurs when we prepare a solution of a pure stereoisomer and leave it to rest. Carbohydrates may suffer this phenomenon due to epimerization (change of optical configuration at the stereogenic center) or some other structural change.

An example of this would be D-glucose:

Reference:

• Smith, A. D., Datta, S. P., Smith, G. H., Campbell, P. N., Bentley, R., McKenzie, H. A., & Jakoby, W. B. (1998). Oxford dictionary of biochemistry and molecular biology. Trends in Biochemical Sciences, 23(6), 228.
• Mutarotation - Chemistry LibreTexts. (2020). Retrieved 22 June 2021, from https://chem.libretexts.org/Ancillary_Materials/Reference/Organic_Chemistry_Glossary/Mutarotation