Lglukos

Lglukos, also known as L-glucose, is the enantiomer of the common monosaccharide D-glucose. It shares the same chemical formula, C6H12O6, and similar physical properties, but its mirror-image configuration at all chiral centers gives it opposite optical activity. In biochemical terms, Lglukos is the non-native enantiomer of glucose for most organisms.

In nature, Lglukos is rare. Most biological systems, including humans, metabolize or transport only the D-configuration efficiently. As a result, Lglukos is not a typical energy source for human metabolism and is not readily used in glycolysis. When ingested, it is generally poorly absorbed and may be excreted, contributing little to caloric intake. The exact fate can vary by organism and physiological conditions.

Lglukos is primarily encountered in research and educational contexts. It is used as a non-metabolizable sugar analog to study carbohydrate transport, enzyme stereospecificity, and metabolic pathways. In laboratory settings, Lglukos can be synthesized chemically or produced through enzyme-assisted methods that invert or alter stereochemistry.

Applications of Lglukos in diagnostics and experimentation include serving as a control sugar in absorption and transporter assays, helping to distinguish stereospecific effects from general sugar transport. It is not a common food ingredient and has limited regulatory use outside of research.

See also: D-glucose, L-glucose, monosaccharide, enantiomer.