Sugar derivatives
A class of compounds derived from monosaccharides. Monosaccharides can be classified by the number of carbon atoms they contain. A monosaccharide often switches from the acyclic (open chain) form to a cyclic form (hemiacetal or hemiketal) which predominate in most of sugars. In these cyclic forms, the ring usually has five or six atoms which are called furanoses and pyranoses. They are found in the tissues of most plants. Honey and fruit are abundant natural sources of simple sugars. Natural sugar derivatives have important biological functions. Sugar derivatives are widely used in organic synthesis as a chiral building block for further derivatization. Carbonyl group of monosaccharides can react with nucleophiles, be reduced to form alcohols, or be oxidized to form carboxylic acids.
