Vol. 3  Iss. 5 The Chemical Educator  © 1998 Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.

ISSN 1430-4171 http://journals.springer-ny.com /chedr S 1430-4171 (98) 05241-5

Essentials of Carbohydrate Chemistry by John F. Robyt. Springer Advanced Texts in Chemistry, 1998. ISBN 0-387-94951-8, hardcover, 399 pages.

Seeing so much good chemistry in such a small space is rare. Although the author is best known for his work in enzymology, he is extremely thorough and covers essentially all aspects of this complex subject in this relatively short volume. Though referencing much background material is necessary, a surprising amount of detail is covered with enough depth that it is easily understood. The organic mechanisms are clearly illustrated, with few errors. The text is rich in the insights and information that would be particularly valuable to the beginning graduate student. This would be a good text to consider for an advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate course in carbohydrate chemistry. Reading this book has given me the urge to incorporate more carbohydrate chemistry in my sophomore organic classes. It gives references that will be valuable in devising novel laboratory exercises.

The opening chapter deals with the basic ideas of carbohydrate chemistry. It covers the occurrence of carbohydrates in nature beyond general structure relationships and related compounds such as sugar alcohols, sugar acids, amino sugars, and sugar phosphates. Extras such as the possible relationships between D carbohydrates and L amino acids and even some methods of remembering carbohydrate structure are included. The text also has separate chapters on transformations and modifications of carbohydrate structure that are clear and reasonably complete.

Chapters on both the historical development of carbohydrate chemistry and another on sweetness give unusual perspective to the reader. The chapter on sweetness presents the viewpoints of researchers in fields as diverse as biology and food technology. Theories from the original Shallenberger and Acree hypothesis through the more recent computer models of Lichtenthaler and Immel are compared in a straightforward and objective manner.

Although polysaccharides are covered in various areas of the text, two chapters are devoted to them. As one would expect from the author's research interest, the first of the polysaccharide chapters is primarily devoted to plant and microbial polysaccharides. The second polysaccharide chapter is a broad treatment of modification reactions with a heavy emphasis on industrial processes. Students will be interested by the discussion of early processes such as nitration and acetylation. The discussion of the other derivatives, such as the ubiquitous carboxymethyl cellulose (used in products ranging from laundry detergents to ice cream) and various cross-linking reactions, is far more engaging. A brief synopsis of the author's work on starch-granule modification is included for good measure.

Cyclodextrins are covered in a concise chapter principally organized along historical lines. I found the material on the specificity of cyclomaltodextrins in forming inclusion complexes with organic compounds to be interesting and very readable.

The chapter on glycoconjugates is strong in the coverage of glycoproteins but somewhat thinner in the area of glycolipids. It was interesting to see how the lipid components of the lipopolysaccharide vary in the cell walls of different bacterial species.

Biosynthesis and biodegradation are covered in complete, but moderately abbreviated, chapters. I feel that the biodegradation chapter will be most useful for students who have some background in intermediary metabolism.

The overview of carbohydrate analysis is brief but covers the basics. Classical methods are adequately described and referenced and there is even a succinct discussion on the use of ¹³C NMR.

Useful appendices summarizing carbohydrate nomenclature and enzyme names and reactions make the text a lot more useful to students. Both appendices are easy to follow and add to the effectiveness of the text.

I have already found this text useful in teaching my classes and answering questions about the methodology of carbohydrate chemistry. Although the text is concise, it has good references for further study. Since this book has much to offer faculty and students, I strongly recommend it.