Beta-D-glucose (β-D-glucose)

Beta-D-glucose is the predominant naturally occurring isomer of the monosaccharide D-glucose, one of the most important carbohydrates in biology. It is a six-carbon (hexose) aldose sugar, with the formula C₆H₁₂O₆, and exists mainly as a pyranose ring in aqueous solution, with the hydroxyl group at the anomeric carbon pointing upwards in the β-configuration. Beta-D-glucose plays a fundamental role as the main source of energy in cells, providing the substrate for glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, and the pentose phosphate pathway. It is also the basic building block for important polysaccharides such as cellulose in plants and glycogen in animals. Although β-D-glucose interacts with a variety of enzymes and transporters, it is not itself a therapeutic target but instead is the molecule moved or modified by such targets. It is widely used clinically to treat hypoglycemia and in nutrient solutions, and abnormally high or low levels are central to the pathophysiology of diabetes and other metabolic diseases. In biotechnology and industry, it serves as a sweetener, preservative, and basic reagent.

Other names

D-glucoseβ-D-glucopyranosedextrose (when referring more generally to D-glucose)b-D-glucopyranoseDextrose monohydrate (trade name/form)Glc (universal monosaccharide abbreviation)

Not directly a classic drug/receptor target, but: - Substrate for glycolytic enzymes (e.g., hexokinase, glucokinase) - Substrate for glucose transporters (GLUT family) - Metabolic intermediate in multiple pathways (glycolysis, PPP, glycogenesis, glycogenolysis) - Modulates pancreatic insulin secretion indirectly