Possibly Related to Altrose

Several additional compounds described in the literature will be included here because of their possible relation to the altrose group of substances. The questions of identity of Fischer s volemose with an altroheptose or with sedoheptulose, and of Bertrand s volemulose with sedoheptulose, have been discussed in an accompanying review by Dr. C. S. Hudson.  

Steiger and Reichstein have isolated a compound of m. p. 132° and [a]o —43.0° in acetone (c, 1.7) it had the composition of, and was assumed to be, a methyl isopropylidene-anhydro-D-altroside, and was obtained as a by-product during the preparation of a diisopro-pylidene-D-altrose (see Table I) from a D-altrose sirup. 

Haworth, Raistrick and Stacey discovered that the action of Peni-cillium varians on glucose produces a polysaccharide which they named varianose. By the usual methylation procedures, varianose was found to be composed of about 70% D-galactose, 14% D-glucose, and 14% of a third hexose which they believed to be either D-idose or L-altrose however, from the evidence presented by those authors, it is not clear to the reviewer how D-idose would be possible. The third component was isolated as a liquid methyl trimethylhexoside of —15.6° in 2% 

Substance Melting point C Jd Temp. Concen- tration Solvent Reference 

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