Monosaccharides from polysaccharides

Acarbose (1) is a stable transition state inhibitor of this reaction. Its structure resembles the transition state structure of the polysaccharide, although it lacks the ability to form a stable oxonium ion intermediate. Acarbose (1) has a 105-fold higher affinity than typical substrates. Thus, it binds the a-gluco-sidase enzyme, incapacitating it from its action on its normal substrates. This prevents the release of monosaccharides from polysaccharides in the stomach and intestine. The normal polysaecharides that are usually broken down in the gastrointestinal tract are eliminated in feces. 

Figure 9.12 Deoxy derivatives. These contain one less oxygen atom than the monosaccharide from which they are derived. 2-Deoxyribose is a most important deoxy pentose and is a major constituent of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Deoxy hexoses are widely distributed among plants, animals and microorganisms especially as components of complex polysaccharides. Examples are rhamnose (6-deoxymannose), a component of bacterial cell walls, and fucose (6-deoxygalactose), which is often found in glycoproteins and is an important constituent of human blood group substances.

Recall from Chapter 12 that polymers are large molecules made of repeating monomer units. Monosaccharides are the monomers that link to form the bio-molecular polymers called polysaccharides, which contain hundreds to thousands of monosaccharide units. Polysaccharides can be built from any type of mono-... 

Monosaccharides, derived from polysaccharides, glycolipids, and glycoproteins, have been converted into the corresponding 1-amino-l-deoxyglycitols by... 

For gene delivery applications, cationic polymers that form complexes with nucleic acids through electrostatic interactions are often used as non-viral vectors that provide protection of DNA from enzyme degradation and facilitate cellular uptake. Monosaccharides or polysaccharides have been well studied for the production of low-toxicity gene delivery vectors. 

---