Lactobionic acid Usage And Synthesis |
Description |
Lactobionic acid (C12H22O12) is a disaccharide obtained from the oxidation of lactose. Chemically, Lactobionic acid is made up of a galactose moiety that is bonded to a gluconic acid molecule through an ether-like bond. The compound can be dehydrated to a lactone. Lactobionic acid is widely used in the chemical, food and pharmaceutical industries due to its chelating, emulsifying, humectant and chelating properties. Lactobionic acid and its constituent salts are essential as food additives due to excellent solubility, good taste, and health-promoting aspects. The compound may also be essential in the synthesis of targetable and biocompatible drug delivery systems. |
Properties |
Lactobionic acid has a molecular weight of 358.296 g/mol and a monoisotopic mass of 358.111 g/mol, which is also its exact mass. The compound has a heavy atom count of 24.
Lactobionic acid has a melting point of 113-118°C and a boiling point of about 410.75°C. It is a white to off-white powder with a solubility of 10 g/100 mL in water and a density of about 1.4662. It is also slightly soluble in anhydrous methanol and ethanol.
Lactobionic acid is hygroscopic, and it has a good water retention potential hence its applicability to cosmetic products. The compound and its constituent mineral salts (Ca, Na, and K lactobionate) are produced commercially for medical and industrial applications and in some cases for research purposes. |
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