Ketose family tree

FIGURE 1.4 The family tree of D-ketoses with the trivial and derived names. 

Figure 24.6 summarizes the family of d ketoses that have between three and six carbon atoms. This family tree is constructed in much the same way as the family tree of aldoses, beginning with dihydroxyacetone as the parent. However, because the carbonyl group is at C2 rather than C1, ketoses have one less chirality center than aldoses of the same molecular formula. As a result, there are only four D ketohexoses, rather than eight. The most common naturally occurring ketose is D-fructose. Each compound in Figure 24.6 has a corresponding l enantiomer that is not shown. 

A family tree of the D ketoses that have between three and... 

A similar family tree could be constructed for the less common ketose sugars, but only fructose, 16.43 vide supra), and sorbose are commonly encountered. Fructose is the sweetest of all the naturally occurring monosaccharides, and hence, high-fructose corn syrup, a mixture of fructose and glucose, is widely used as a sweetening agent for food. Concerns have been raised as it is linked to obesity and diabetes. The natural isomer of sorbose, unusually, is the L-isomer, 16.55 it can be isolated from mountain ash berries or prepared by oxidation of sorbitol, 16.56, and it is used in the commercial synthesis of vitamin C. 

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