lævulosan, levulosan Chem.
(ˈliːvjʊləsæn)
Also -ane (see next).
[ad. F. lévulosane (A. Gélis 1860, in Compt. Rend. LI. 333), f. lévulose lævulose, levulose.]
a. An anhydride, C6H10O5, of lævulose. ? Obs.
| 1862 H. Watts tr. Gmelin's Hand-bk. Chem. XV. 338 Cane-sugar quickly heated to 160°, and kept in the melted state at that temperature for a moderate time, is converted into..lævulosan and dextro-glucose. 1887 Encycl. Brit. XXII. 624/1 It [sc. lævulose] fuses at 95° C.; at 170° it passes into lævulosan, C6H10O5, analogous to glucosan. |
b. Any polysaccharide composed chiefly of lævulose residues. Cf. levan.
| 1913 Chem. Abstr. VII. 3511 (heading) Hydrolysis of levulosans and application to vegetable analysis. 1931 [see fructosan]. 1966 Nowakowski & Clarke tr. Kretovich's Princ. Plant Biochem. ix. 295 Higher plants also contain enzymes which catalyse the conversion of sucrose into a variety of polyglucosides and polyfructosides. In some plants (members of the Graminae and Liliaceae) levulosans..function as transport carbohydrates. |