Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
H
O
CH
2
OH
H
HO
a
anomer
H
H
OH
HO
OH
H
H
H
O
CH
2
OH
H
HO
Open-chain form
O
H
C
OH
HO
H
H
H
O
CH
2
OH
HO
H
b
anomer
H
OH
OH
HO
H
H
Figure 4.5
Mutarotation of
D
-glucose.
Biological systems
It is very important to realise that when drugs or medicines are adminis-
tered to the body there is the opportunity for chiral interactions. This is
because the human body is composed of enzymes and receptors that are
protein in nature. These proteins are polymers of 20 or so naturally occur-
ring amino acids. With the exception of glycine, all of these amino acids are
chiral (all are
L
-series amino acids - see later) and it must be expected that
a chiral drug will interact with these chiral receptors differently from its
enantiomer. It is often the case that if a racemic mixture of a chiral drug is
administered, only one enantiomer will be active, while the other will be
