Glc14Glc

Glc14Glc is a shorthand notation used in carbohydrate chemistry to denote a disaccharide composed of two glucose units joined by a single glycosidic bond between the anomeric carbon of one glucose (C1) and the hydroxyl group at C4 of the other glucose, i.e., a 1→4 linkage. This motif is most commonly associated with maltose, a disaccharide widely studied and encountered in biology and food science.

The 1→4 linkage can occur with different anomeric configurations at the glycosidic bond. The classic maltose structure is α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-D-glucopyranose, meaning the glycosidic bond originates from an α orientation at the reducing glucose. In principle, a β-1,4 Glc-Glc disaccharide could exist, but α-1,4 maltose is the predominant form found in nature and in most practical contexts.

In nature and industry, Glc14Glc units appear primarily as maltose, produced by the enzymatic or acid hydrolysis of starch and glycogen. Maltose is a reducing sugar because one glucose unit retains a free anomeric carbon capable of mutarotation; this property influences how it reacts in assays and how it interacts with enzymes and microorganisms. Maltose plays a role in digestion, fermentation, and various food and brewing processes.

Analytical characterization of Glc14Glc-containing compounds typically employs methods such as high-performance liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to determine linkage position and anomeric configuration. Related disaccharides include Glcα1→6Glc (isomaltose) and Glcβ1→4Glc (cellobiose), illustrating the diversity of glucose–glucose linkages. In literature, Glc14Glc serves as a generic shorthand, with explicit stereochemical details provided when necessary.