Question

Which of the following pairs of sugars are epimers of each other? (a) D-sorbose and D-psicose (b) D-sorbose and D-fructose (c) D-erythrose and D-arabinose.

Short answer

(a) D-sorbose and D-psicose are the pair of sugars that are epimers of each other.

Step-by-step solution

Introduction of epimers

Epimers are carbohydrates that differ in the configuration of a hydroxyl group (–OH) around one chiral C atom present in their structure.

They are generally diastereoisomers with more than one chiral center but differ in their configuration at only one chiral center.

Pairs of sugars that are epimers of each other

D-sorbose and D-psicose are a pair of sugars that are epimers of each other. They differ in the placement of the –OH group around the C4 chiral carbon atom.

D-sorbose D-psicose