Illustrated Glossary of Organic Chemistry

Mutarotation: The change in optical activity as a monosaccharide reaches equilibrium between its α and β-anomers.





α-D-glucopyranose

Equilibrium mixture

β-D-glucopyranose
[α] = +112.2o
[α] = +52.5o
[α] = +18.7o


36% α and 64% β