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. Click any column header to sort.