manosa

Manosa is the term used in several Romance languages for the hexose sugar known in English as mannose. In chemical terms, it is an aldohexose and an epimer of glucose at the C-2 position. The naturally occurring enantiomer is D-mannose; L-mannose is rare in nature.

Manosa occurs in small amounts in fruits, vegetables, and plant glycoproteins and as a component of polysaccharides such as mannans. In humans, mannose is involved in the formation of N-linked and O-linked glycoproteins through pathways that funnel mannose into glycoprotein biosynthesis, with mannose-6-phosphate playing a key role in intracellular processing.

Industrial and research relevance: Mannose is used as a reference standard in carbohydrate analysis; D-mannose is also marketed as a dietary supplement for urinary tract infections, though evidence of efficacy is mixed and regulatory status varies by country.

Chemically, manosa is available in several forms, including free D-mannose and various glycosides. Synthesis in the laboratory can proceed from mannose derivatives or from glucose epimers, reflecting common strategies in carbohydrate chemistry.

See also: mannose, aldohexose, glycoproteins, mannans, carbohydrate chemistry.