Sedoheptulose or pseudoheptulose or D-''altro''-heptulose is a

ketoheptose A heptose is a monosaccharide with seven carbon atoms. They have either an aldehyde In organic chemistry, an aldehyde () is an organic compound containing a functional group with the structure . The functional group itself (without the "R" sid ...

—a monosaccharide with seven

carbon Carbon () is a chemical element with the symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalent—its atom making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds. It belongs to group 14 of the periodic table. Carbon mak ...

atoms and a ketone

functional group In organic chemistry, a functional group is a substituent or moiety in a molecule that causes the molecule's characteristic chemical reactions. The same functional group will undergo the same or similar chemical reactions regardless of the re ...

. It is one of the few heptoses found in nature, and is found in various fruits and vegetables ranging from carrots and leeks to figs, mangos and avocados. It is an intermediate in respiratory and photosynthetic pathways and plays a vital role in the non-oxidative branch of the

pentose phosphate pathway The pentose phosphate pathway (also called the phosphogluconate pathway and the hexose monophosphate shunt and the HMP Shunt) is a metabolic pathway parallel to glycolysis. It generates NADPH and pentoses (5-carbon sugars) as well as ribose 5-pho ...

. Studies have shown that 7-O-galloyl-D-sedoheptulose, a chemical extracted from

dogwood ''Cornus'' is a genus of about 30–60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods, which can generally be distinguished by their blossoms, berries, and distinctive bark. Most are deciduous trees or shru ...

fruit, is able to reduce pro-inflammatory markers ''

in vivo Studies that are ''in vivo'' (Latin for "within the living"; often not italicized in English) are those in which the effects of various biological entities are tested on whole, living organisms or cells, usually animals, including humans, and ...

'' such as

interleukin-6 Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is an interleukin that acts as both a pro-inflammatory cytokine and an anti-inflammatory myokine. In humans, it is encoded by the ''IL6'' gene. In addition, osteoblasts secrete IL-6 to stimulate osteoclast formation. Smoo ...

(IL-6) and

C-reactive protein C-reactive protein (CRP) is an annular (ring-shaped) pentameric protein found in blood plasma, whose circulating concentrations rise in response to inflammation. It is an acute-phase protein of hepatic origin that increases following interleukin- ...

and thus might be able reduce low-level inflammation in humans. While this compound contains a sedoheptulose moiety, sedoheptulose itself has not been shown to possess the same properties.

References

{{Carbohydrates Ketoheptoses

See also

References