β-D-Glucose Pentaacetate is used in biochemical reaction and also used as an active pharmaceutical intermediate. Further, it is used to stimulate insulin release in rat pancreatic islets.
Purification Methods
Crystallise the pentaacetate from MeOH or EtOH. It is best purified by recrystallising 160g from 1L of hot 95% EtOH (charcoal) and filtering hot. It is important that as soon as the temperature of the filtrate cools to ~20o it is filtered off. Note that some -D-isomer will crystallise out if a prolonged crystallisation period is allowed. Further crystallisation in this manner and drying in a vacuum over CaCl2 will give pure -D-anomer which has m 132o, [] D 20 + 4o (c 5, CHCl3). [Wolfrom & Thompson Methods in Carbohydrate Chemistry II 212 1963, Academic Press, Krahl & Cori Biochemical Preparations 1 33 1955, Beilstein 17/7 V 319.]
