Optical Rotation Values of Carbohydrates

Table: Optical Rotation Values. Optical rotation measures the degree to which a substance rotates plane-polarized light, expressed in degrees. It is a key property of chiral molecules like carbohydrates, influenced by their molecular structure, concentration, and solvent. Positive values indicate dextrorotation (clockwise rotation), while negative values indicate levorotation (counterclockwise rotation). This property is critical for characterizing the structural and stereochemical properties of carbohydrates and polysaccharides in applications such as biochemistry, food science, and pharmaceuticals.

Substance Solvent Optical Rotation 1 (degrees) Optical Rotation 2 (degrees) Ref (DOI)
Methyl 2-methyl-β-glucoside Cupra Water +985 -69 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)71941-8
Methyl 3-methyl-β-glucoside Cupra Water -86 -46 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)71941-8
Methyl 4-methyl-β-glucoside Cupra Water -1008 -36 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)71941-8
Methyl 6-methyl-β-glucoside Cupra Water +161 -48 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)71941-8
Cellulose Cupra -1200 -194,400 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)71941-8
Cellulose Water-Triton B (1:1) -46 -7,500 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)71941-8
Starch (soluble) Cupra -715 -115,800 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)71941-8
Starch (soluble) Water +375 +60,800 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)71941-8
Glycogen Cupra -597 -96,700 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)71941-8
Glycogen Water containing NaCl +366 +59,300 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)71941-8
Laminarin Cupra +34 +5,500 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)71941-8
Laminarin Water -29 -4,700 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)71941-8
Polysaccharide from Phytomonas tumefaciens Cupra +960 +155,500 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)71941-8
Polysaccharide from Phytomonas tumefaciens Water -23 -3,700 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)71941-8
Dextran from Leuconostoc dextranicum Cupra -128 -20,700 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)71941-8
Dextran from Leuconostoc dextranicum Water +297 +48,100 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)71941-8