D-Turanose is used as a carbon source by bacteria, fungi, and other organisms. It is involved in intracellular sugar signaling in plant cells.
Crystallise D(+)-turanose from H2O by addition of EtOH (its solubility is 5.3% in 95% EtOH). Form m 157o is obtained by crystallisation from hot MeOH, and mutarotates from +27.3o to [] 20D +88o (c 4, H2O). The phenylosazone crystallises from 15 parts of 95% EtOH with m 200-205o, [] D 24.5o mutarotating to +33o[24hours, c 0.82, pyridine/EtOH (4:6)]. [Pascu Methods in Carbohydrate Chemistry I 353 1962, Academic Press, Beilstein 17/7 V 213.] In D2O at 36o 1H NMR showed the following ratios: -pyranose (<4), -pyranose (39), -furanose (20) and -furanose (41)[Angyal Adv Carbohydr Chem 42 15 1984].
