General Veterinary Biochemistry

DERIVATIVES OF MONOSACCHARIDES

• Many derivatives of the monosaccharides are found in the systems, which include sugar phosphate, deoxy and amino sugars, sugar alcohol, and sugar phosphate, deoxy and amino sugar,  sugar alcohols, and sugar acids.
• Phosphate esters: When monosaccharides are used as fuel they are metabolized as phosphate esters. For  e.g., triose phosphate, ribose 5-phosphate and glucose 6-phosphate.
• Deoxy sugars: In these derivatives,  a hydrogen atom replaces one of the hydroxyl groups in the parent monosaccharide. An example is deoxyribose occuring in nucleic acid DNA, L-Fucose (6-deoxy-L-galactose) is widely distributed in plants, animals and microorganisms .L-rhamonose (6-deoxy-L-mannose) is also found as components of cell wall.                        
• Amino sugars: In a number of sugars, an amino group replaces one of the hydroxyl groups in the parent monosaccharide. Some times the amino group is acetylated. Examples of amino sugars are D-glucosamine, D-galactosamine and D- mannosamine. They commonly occur in glycoconjugates. Several antibiotics contain amino sugars.
• Sugar alcohols: In sugar alchohols, the carbonyl oxygen of the parent monosaccharide has been reduced producing a polyhydroxy alcohol. For example glycerol and myo-inositol are the important components of lipids. Ribitol is a component of FMN and FAD.
• Sugar acids: Sugar acids are carboxylic acids derived from aldoses, either by the oxidation of C-1 (the aldehyde carbon or by the oxidation of carbon bearing the primary    alcohol). Sugar acids are important components of many polysaccharides.
• Ascorbic acid or Vitamin C: It is derived from D-glucuronate . It is an essential cofactor for many hydroxylation processes.