It acts as a reducing carbohydrate present in maple syrup. It is used in molecular modeling calculations in the study of drug binding and recognition in relation to aldose reductase. L-Lyxose is also utilized by Escherichia coli, encoding a kinase for L-Xylulose.
The anomer crystallises from propan-1-ol or EtOH, and the anomer crystallises from propan-2-ol. The 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone has m 171-172o and [] D -31o (pyridine). In D2O it has 21% of the pyranose form. The 2-methyl ether has m 120-121o and [] D +6o (c 1, H2O). [Angyal Adv Carbohydr Chem 42 15 1984, Bently J Am Chem Soc 79 1720 1959, Beilstein 1 I 439, 1 IV 4232.]
