Recent advances in properties, production, and applications of l-ribulose

Currently, due to the special functions and potential application values, rare sugars become the hot topic in carbohydrate fields. l -Ribulose, an isomer of l -ribose, is an expensive rare ketopentose. As an important precursor for other rare sugars and l -nucleoside analogue synthesis, l -ribulose attracts more and more attention in recent days. Compared with complicated chemical synthesis, the bioconversion method becomes a good alternative approach to l -ribulose production. Generally, the bioconversion of l -ribulose was linked with ribitol, l -arabinose, l -ribose, l -xylulose, and l -arabitol. Herein, an overview of recent advances in the metabolic pathway, chemical synthesis, bioproduction of l -ribulose, and the potential application of l -ribulose is reviewed in detail in this paper. Key points 1. l -Ribulose is a rare sugar and the key precursor for l -ribose production. 2. l -Ribulose is the starting material for l -nucleoside derivative synthesis. 3. Chemical synthesis, bioproduction, and applications of l -ribulose are reviewed.