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Frontiers in Biomaterials Science ·

Volume 5 - 2026 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fbiom.2026.1896271

Glucosodiene as a carbohydrate-derived material system: preliminary evidence from dextrose–bicarbonate aqueous diversification and potential relevance to future nanomedicine

  • Maher Akl1*corresponding author
  • Amr Ahmed2
  1. 1Faculty of Medicine, National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
  2. 2Department of Public Health, Riyadh First Health Cluster, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Abstract

The direct conversion of native sugars into carbohydrate-derived material systems remains challenging, particularly under simple aqueous conditions. This Perspective reports a preliminary experimental observation from a dextrose–sodium bicarbonate–water system. Dextrose monohydrate (3.500 g, 19.43 mmol) and sodium bicarbonate (2.500 g, 29.76 mmol) were dissolved in deionized water (100.0 mL), heated at 100 °C for 5 min under atmospheric pressure, cooled, and lyophilized to recover a dry carbohydrate-containing material operationally designated glucosodiene. Gas evolution was observed during heating, but it is interpreted only as a process observation because CO 2 release may arise from bicarbonate/carbonate/CO 2 speciation or thermal decomposition independently of carbohydrate transformation. The recovered material was evaluated by 13 C NMR, 1 H NMR, FTIR, and LC-MS. 13 C NMR showed multiple anomeric carbon signals at approximately 92–104 ppm, oxygenated carbon resonances at approximately 67–83 ppm, and CH 2 OH-associated signals near 61–64 ppm. 1 H NMR showed carbohydrate-region signals at approximately 3.0–4.5 ppm and anomeric proton environments near 4.8–5.0 ppm. FTIR revealed a broad O–H band near 3,411 cm -1 with C–O/C–O–C absorptions, while LC-MS showed two closely associated peaks at approximately 0.70 and 0.77 min with recurring ions around m/z 178.9, 224.9, 316.8, 384.9, 452.9, 520.9, and 588.9. Collectively, these data are consistent with a heterogeneous carbohydrate-derived material system distinct from a single homogeneous dextrose preparation. However, product identities, conversion extent, residual bicarbonate/carbonate content, molecular connectivity, stereochemistry, and molecular-weight distribution remain unresolved. Overall, the combined spectroscopic and LC-MS profile is not readily attributable solely to unchanged dextrose, extensive thermal degradation, classical glucose-derived humin, or a carbon-rich complex residue. Instead, it suggests the emergence of an oxygen-rich, heterogeneous carbohydrate-derived material state with possible supramolecular or proto-polymeric features. This interpretation requires further controlled validation, but may open a future route toward carbohydrate-based platforms for nanomedicine.

Keywords

1 Introduction

The transformation of naturally occurring biomolecules into functional materials has emerged as a major frontier in biomaterials science, nanotechnology, and translational healthcare research (Durgam and Oroszi, 2025). Increasing attention has been directed toward exploiting the intrinsic physicochemical properties of biological molecules to generate advanced materials with high biocompatibility, sustainability, and structural complexity under environmentally benign conditions (Abdulsalam et al., 2025). Among the major classes of biomolecules, carbohydrates occupy a unique position owing to their abundance, structural diversity, low toxicity, biodegradability, and central roles in molecular recognition, cellular communication, and biological organization (Kowaltowski and Abdulkader, 2020). Consequently, carbohydrate-based materials have attracted growing interest in drug delivery, tissue engineering, biosensing, regenerative medicine, and nanomedical applications (Cova et al., 2026; Thodikayil et al., 2021). Among naturally occurring carbohydrates, D-glucose represents one of the most extensively studied and biologically significant molecules. Although traditionally viewed as the primary metabolic fuel of living systems, glucose is also a chemically dynamic entity. In aqueous solution, glucose exists as an evolving ensemble of α- and β-pyranose forms, furanose forms, and open-chain aldehydic species interconnected through mutarotation equilibria (Bayat, 2025; Hicks et al., 2025). These structural interconversions are accompanied by extensive hydrogen-bonding networks that influence molecular conformation, solvation behavior, and intermolecular interactions. Consequently, glucose may be considered not only as a metabolic substrate, but also as a chemically responsive carbohydrate platform capable of participating in diverse physicochemical processes (Brescia et al., 2025).

Despite substantial advances in carbohydrate chemistry, the development of functional carbohydrate-derived materials has traditionally relied on enzymatic transformations, activated glycosyl donors, protecting-group strategies, polymerization methods, or sophisticated synthetic modifications. While these approaches have greatly expanded the scope of glycoscience and biomaterials engineering, they often require extensive chemical manipulation of native sugars (Hudlicky et al., 1996). An important question therefore remains: to what extent can the intrinsic dynamic properties of unmodified carbohydrates be explored for generating structurally diversified carbohydrate-derived material systems under simple aqueous conditions?

Addressing this question requires careful consideration of the known chemical behavior of carbohydrates in dynamic aqueous environments. Native glucose does not behave as a single static molecular species; rather, its composition and reactivity are influenced by pH, temperature, ionic strength, hydration state, and hydrogen-bonding interactions (Kutzli et al., 2021; Zhao et al., 2015). Under mildly alkaline conditions, glucose may undergo transient enolization through the Lobry de Bruyn–Alberda van Ekenstein transformation, generating reactive enediol intermediates that facilitate reversible interconversion among glucose, fructose, and mannose (Hricovíniová, 2025; Nakakita and Hirabayashi, 2025). These processes are well established in carbohydrate chemistry. However, their possible relevance to carbohydrate-derived material formation, supramolecular association, and molecular diversification under simple aqueous conditions remains less clearly defined.

From a mechanistic perspective, transient enediol formation and related glucose equilibria may alter hydroxyl-group orientation, hydrogen-bonding patterns, and local electronic distribution within carbohydrate molecules (Fielding et al., 2014). Such dynamic structural fluctuations may increase the diversity of molecular interactions available in solution and may contribute to association or reorganization phenomena under appropriate physicochemical conditions. This possibility is relevant because many biological materials arise not solely from extensive covalent modification, but also from the collective organization of simple molecular building blocks operating under mild and non-equilibrium conditions (Liu et al., 2026).

Within this context, bicarbonate-containing aqueous systems represent an interesting chemical environment for examining native carbohydrate behavior. The bicarbonate/carbonate/CO2 network is a dynamic buffering system characterized by reversible acid–base equilibria, proton-transfer reactions, dissolved carbon dioxide exchange, and temperature-dependent shifts in speciation. Beyond its conventional role in pH regulation, bicarbonate may influence hydration structures, hydrogen-bond dynamics, and local proton activity within aqueous media. Such effects could modulate carbohydrate–water interactions and carbohydrate–carbohydrate association processes. Collectively, these phenomena provide a chemically dynamic environment in which glucose-derived structural diversification may be investigated (Wu et al., 2024; Garbacz et al., 2014; Wang et al., 2026).

Recent advances in supramolecular chemistry, carbohydrate-derived biomaterials, and metabolically active materials have increasingly highlighted the importance of understanding how simple biological molecules can contribute to complex functional structures through self-assembly, hydration effects, and collective molecular behavior. In numerous biological systems, organized architectures emerge from relatively simple molecular components through the interplay of hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, hydration effects, and dynamic chemical equilibria.

Whether analogous principles can be explored in native carbohydrate systems remains an important question with potential implications for sustainable materials design, nanotechnology, and biomedical engineering.

In this Perspective, we examine this possibility through the concept of bicarbonate-associated carbohydrate diversification (BACD), proposed here as a preliminary conceptual and experimental framework for investigating structural diversification of native carbohydrates under mild bicarbonate-containing aqueous conditions. Using glucosodiene as an initial experimental example, we examine the chemical rationale underlying BACD, discuss the possible contributions of bicarbonate-mediated aqueous equilibria, transient carbohydrate rearrangements, and supramolecular organization, evaluate the available spectroscopic and LC-MS observations, and consider the potential future relevance of this material system to biomaterials science and nanotechnology. At this stage, BACD is not presented as a fully resolved mechanistic pathway, as proof of selective product formation, or as evidence that bicarbonate has a uniquely specific catalytic role. Rather, it is used as a working framework for investigating whether simple dextrose–bicarbonate aqueous conditions can access carbohydrate-derived material states distinct from a single homogeneous dextrose preparation.

2 Glucosodiene: experimental evidence for carbohydrate-derived structural diversification

To experimentally investigate whether simple dextrose–bicarbonate aqueous conditions can generate a carbohydrate-derived material system distinct from native dextrose, a reaction system composed of native dextrose, sodium bicarbonate, and deionized water was employed. Dextrose monohydrate (3.500 g, 19.43 mmol) and sodium bicarbonate (2.500 g, 29.76 mmol) were dissolved in 100.0 mL of deionized water under continuous magnetic stirring until complete dissolution was achieved. The resulting homogeneous solution was subsequently heated to 100 °C and maintained at this temperature for 5 min under atmospheric pressure. During thermal treatment, gas evolution was observed throughout the reaction medium. This observation is consistent with the expected behavior of the bicarbonate/carbonate/CO2 equilibrium under aqueous heating; however, gas evolution was not considered direct evidence of carbohydrate transformation, because carbon dioxide release may arise from bicarbonate speciation or thermal decomposition independently of glucose modification. Following cooling to room temperature, solvent removal was performed by lyophilization, yielding a recovered dry carbohydrate-containing material operationally designated glucosodiene.

2.1 Operational simplicity of the transformation

The experimental system involved only three inexpensive and widely available components under atmospheric pressure, without the use of activated glycosyl donors, protecting groups, transition metals, organic solvents, or enzymatic systems. This operational simplicity distinguishes the present aqueous treatment from many conventional carbohydrate-modification strategies. However, simplicity alone does not establish selectivity, conversion extent, or mechanistic control. Rather, it provides a practical model system for evaluating whether bicarbonate-associated aqueous heating can generate a recovered carbohydrate-derived material that differs analytically from native dextrose while retaining substantial carbohydrate character.

2.1.1 Proposed basis for bicarbonate-associated diversification

Among the analytical techniques employed, 13C NMR provided important evidence for structural diversification within the recovered material (Figure 1). Multiple resonances were observed within the anomeric carbon region between approximately 92 and 104 ppm, together with numerous oxygenated carbon signals distributed throughout the 67–83 ppm region. Additional resonances near 61–64 ppm remained consistent with CH2OH-containing carbohydrate environments. The coexistence of several anomeric carbon environments is consistent with the presence of multiple carbohydrate-associated chemical states rather than a single homogeneous glucose population. Importantly, the spectrum retained characteristic oxygen-rich carbohydrate signals while exhibiting diversification within the anomeric and oxygenated carbon regions. These observations support preservation of carbohydrate-derived structural features alongside the emergence of additional chemical environments during the aqueous dextrose–bicarbonate treatment.

13C NMR spectrum of glucosodiene obtained following bicarbonate-associated aqueous treatment and interpreted within the framework of bicarbonate-associated carbohydrate diversification. Multiple resonances were observed within the anomeric carbon region (approximately 92–104 ppm), together with numerous oxygenated carbon signals distributed throughout the 67–83 ppm region and CH<sub>2</sub>OH-associated signals near 61–64 ppm. The coexistence of multiple anomeric carbon environments suggests structural diversification within the recovered material while preserving characteristic oxygen-rich carbohydrate features.
Figure 1. 13C NMR spectrum of glucosodiene obtained following bicarbonate-associated aqueous treatment and interpreted within the framework of bicarbonate-associated carbohydrate diversification. Multiple resonances were observed within the anomeric carbon region (approximately 92–104 ppm), together with numerous oxygenated carbon signals distributed throughout the 67–83 ppm region and CH2OH-associated signals near 61–64 ppm. The coexistence of multiple anomeric carbon environments suggests structural diversification within the recovered material while preserving characteristic oxygen-rich carbohydrate features.

2.2 Evidence from 13C NMR spectroscopy

Complementary information was obtained from 1H NMR spectroscopy (Figure 2). Signals within the characteristic carbohydrate region, approximately 3.0–4.5 ppm, were consistent with protons attached to oxygenated carbon centers, while resonances near 4.8–5.0 ppm corresponded to anomeric proton environments. Collectively, the 1H NMR data support retention of substantial carbohydrate character while indicating the presence of multiple chemically distinct proton environments. When considered together with the 13C NMR findings, these results are consistent with the formation of a structurally diversified carbohydrate-derived material rather than simple recovery of a single unchanged glucose species.

1H NMR spectrum of glucosodiene demonstrating retention of carbohydrate-associated proton environments. Signals within the characteristic carbohydrate region (approximately 3.0–4.5 ppm) were consistent with protons attached to oxygenated carbon centers, whereas resonances near 4.8–5.0 ppm corresponded to anomeric proton environments. The overall spectral profile supports preservation of carbohydrate character alongside the emergence of multiple chemically distinct proton environments.
Figure 2. 1H NMR spectrum of glucosodiene demonstrating retention of carbohydrate-associated proton environments. Signals within the characteristic carbohydrate region (approximately 3.0–4.5 ppm) were consistent with protons attached to oxygenated carbon centers, whereas resonances near 4.8–5.0 ppm corresponded to anomeric proton environments. The overall spectral profile supports preservation of carbohydrate character alongside the emergence of multiple chemically distinct proton environments.

2.3 Evidence from 1H NMR spectroscopy

Complementary information was obtained from 1H NMR spectroscopy (Figure 2). Signals within the characteristic carbohydrate region, approximately 3.0–4.5 ppm, were consistent with protons attached to oxygenated carbon centers, while resonances near 4.8–5.0 ppm corresponded to anomeric proton environments.

Collectively, the 1H NMR data support retention of substantial carbohydrate character while indicating the presence of multiple chemically distinct proton environments. Taken together, the 13C and 1H NMR findings support the retention of substantial carbohydrate character while indicating multiple chemically distinct carbon and proton environments. Collectively, these findings are consistent with a structurally diversified carbohydrate‐derived material rather than the simple recovery of a single unchanged glucose species.

2.3.1 Evidence from FTIR spectroscopy

Further evidence was obtained from FTIR spectroscopy (Figure 3), which indicated that the recovered material remained highly oxygenated. A broad hydroxyl stretching band centered near 3,411 cm-1 was observed together with strong absorptions throughout the carbohydrate fingerprint region. Particularly prominent were bands associated with C–O and C–O–C stretching vibrations, consistent with oxygen-rich carbohydrate-derived functionality. The persistence of intense hydroxyl absorption suggests retention of hydrogen-bonding capability, a feature that may contribute to supramolecular association within the recovered material. However, FTIR does not define molecular connectivity and cannot by itself exclude residual inorganic species, unreacted carbohydrate, or minor degradation products. Therefore, the FTIR data are interpreted as supporting preservation of carbohydrate-associated functionality rather than proving a fully defined structure.

FTIR spectrum of glucosodiene showing preservation of oxygen-rich carbohydrate functionality. A broad hydroxyl stretching band centered near 3,411 cm<sup>-1</sup> was observed together with prominent absorptions throughout the carbohydrate fingerprint region. Strong C–O and C–O–C stretching vibrations indicate retention of carbohydrate-derived oxygen-containing functionalities and extensive hydrogen-bonding capability within the reorganized material.
Figure 3. FTIR spectrum of glucosodiene showing preservation of oxygen-rich carbohydrate functionality. A broad hydroxyl stretching band centered near 3,411 cm-1 was observed together with prominent absorptions throughout the carbohydrate fingerprint region. Strong C–O and C–O–C stretching vibrations indicate retention of carbohydrate-derived oxygen-containing functionalities and extensive hydrogen-bonding capability within the reorganized material.

2.3.2 Evidence from LC-MS analysis

Additional support for chemical diversification was provided by LC-MS analysis (Figure 4). The chromatographic profile revealed two closely associated dominant peaks at retention times of approximately 0.70 and 0.77 min. The corresponding mass spectra displayed recurring ions across both chromatographic features, including signals centered around m/z 178.9, 224.9, 316.8, 384.9, 452.9, 520.9, 588.9, and several higher-mass species. The recurrence of these ions across multiple chromatographic features is compatible with the existence of a heterogeneous population of structurally related carbohydrate-derived species generated within the reaction environment. Although these observations do not establish precise molecular connectivity or the identities of individual compounds, they are not adequately explained by a single unmodified glucose species and instead support the presence of a chemically diversified carbohydrate-containing material system.

LC-MS chromatogram and mass spectral profile of glucosodiene. The chromatographic analysis revealed two closely associated dominant peaks at retention times of approximately 0.70 and 0.77 min. Corresponding mass spectra exhibited recurring ion populations, including signals around m/z 178.9, 224.9, 316.8, 384.9, 452.9, 520.9, and 588.9. The recurrence of related ion species across chromatographic features is consistent with the presence of a heterogeneous population of structurally related carbohydrate-derived molecules generated during the bicarbonate-associated aqueous treatment, consistent with the proposed framework of bicarbonate-associated carbohydrate diversification.
Figure 4. LC-MS chromatogram and mass spectral profile of glucosodiene. The chromatographic analysis revealed two closely associated dominant peaks at retention times of approximately 0.70 and 0.77 min. Corresponding mass spectra exhibited recurring ion populations, including signals around m/z 178.9, 224.9, 316.8, 384.9, 452.9, 520.9, and 588.9. The recurrence of related ion species across chromatographic features is consistent with the presence of a heterogeneous population of structurally related carbohydrate-derived molecules generated during the bicarbonate-associated aqueous treatment, consistent with the proposed framework of bicarbonate-associated carbohydrate diversification.

2.4 Integrated interpretation of NMR findings

The principal analytical observations supporting this interpretation are summarized in Table 1.

TABLE 1. Summary of analytical observations consistent with bicarbonate-associated carbohydrate diversification in the recovered glucosodiene material.

TechniqueExperimental observationStructural implicationRelevance to the proposed interpretation
13C NMR (Figure 1)Multiple anomeric carbon signals (≈92–104 ppm)Presence of multiple carbohydrate-associated chemical environmentsConsistent with structural diversification beyond a single homogeneous glucose population
13C NMR (Figure 1)Oxygenated carbon resonances (≈67–83 ppm)Retention of an oxygen-rich carbohydrate frameworkIndicates preservation of carbohydrate-derived structural motifs during the aqueous treatment
13C NMR (Figure 1)CH2OH signals (≈61–64 ppm)Preservation of glucose-derived backbone elementsSuggests incomplete destruction of the parent carbohydrate scaffold
1H NMR (Figure 2)Signals within the carbohydrate region (≈3.0–4.5 ppm)Retention of characteristic carbohydrate proton environmentsSupports maintenance of substantial carbohydrate character
1H NMR (Figure 2)Anomeric proton resonances near 4.8–5.0 ppmExistence of multiple anomeric environmentsCompatible with structural diversification within the recovered material
FTIR (Figure 3)Broad O–H stretching band (∼3,411 cm-1)Extensive hydroxyl functionality and hydrogen-bonding capabilitySupports preservation of oxygen-rich carbohydrate-associated functionality
FTIR (Figure 3)Strong C–O and C–O–C absorptions within the carbohydrate fingerprint regionRetention of carbohydrate-associated oxygen-containing functionalitiesConsistent with maintenance of carbohydrate-derived structural identity
LC-MS (Figure 4)Two closely associated chromatographic peaksPresence of related molecular populations rather than a single speciesIndicates chemical heterogeneity within the recovered material
LC-MS (Figure 4)Recurring ion populations across chromatographic featuresStructurally related carbohydrate-derived ion featuresCompatible with multiple competing diversification or reorganization processes
Combined analytical evidencePreservation of carbohydrate signatures alongside emergence of additional chemical environmentsStructurally diversified carbohydrate-derived material systemSupports further investigation of bicarbonate-associated carbohydrate diversification
Current structural statusLinkage positions, stereochemistry, molecular connectivity, product identities, conversion extent, residual bicarbonate/carbonate content, and degree of oligomerization remain unresolvedComplete molecular architecture and composition remain undefinedFurther characterization by quantitative HPLC/qNMR, HSQC, HMBC, COSY, NOESY, DOSY, HRMS/MS, MALDI-TOF, SEC/GPC, and inorganic-residue analysis is required

Individually, none of the analytical techniques employed establishes the complete molecular architecture of glucosodiene. However, when interpreted collectively, the available data indicate that the recovered material is not adequately described as a single homogeneous native dextrose preparation and that it preserves substantial carbohydrate character while exhibiting additional anomeric, oxygenated, and mass-spectrometric features. This finding is consistent with the central premise of the present interpretation: namely, that mild bicarbonate-associated aqueous heating may be associated with carbohydrate-derived structural diversification without complete destruction of the underlying carbohydrate scaffold.

At the same time, the present evidence should be interpreted within clear analytical limitations. The current dataset does not yet quantify the extent of glucose conversion, define the identities of the individual products, measure residual bicarbonate/carbonate content, or establish molecular-weight distribution. Consequently, glucosodiene should presently be regarded as an operationally designated carbohydrate-derived material system rather than a single fully resolved molecular entity. Future controlled studies comparing glucose-only, bicarbonate-only, pH-matched alkaline, carbonate, ionic-strength, and bicarbonate-associated glucose systems, together with quantitative chromatographic analysis, inorganic-residue assessment, and high-resolution structural characterization, will be required to determine the specificity and mechanistic contribution of bicarbonate in this process.

3 Implications, limitations, and future directions of BACD

The significance of glucosodiene should be interpreted cautiously. The present data do not establish glucosodiene as a single fully defined molecular entity, nor do they prove a selective bicarbonate-controlled pathway. Rather, the observations provide preliminary evidence that a simple dextrose–bicarbonate aqueous treatment can yield a recovered carbohydrate-derived material system that differs analytically from native dextrose while retaining substantial carbohydrate character.

Accordingly, glucosodiene is best regarded at this stage as an operationally designated carbohydrate-derived material system and an initial experimental model for investigating bicarbonate-associated carbohydrate diversification.

A notable feature emerging from the analytical data is the preservation of oxygen-rich carbohydrate-associated signatures despite the appearance of multiple chemically distinct environments. The combined NMR, FTIR, and LC-MS observations indicate that the recovered material retains hydroxyl functionality, carbohydrate-associated proton and carbon environments, and recurring mass features while exhibiting chemical heterogeneity beyond a single homogeneous glucose population. Such a combination is relevant from a biomaterials perspective because hydrated oxygen-rich architectures may contribute to aqueous compatibility, intermolecular recognition, polymer interaction, and biological interfacing. Mechanistically, this behavior may arise from the interplay of several dynamic processes operating simultaneously within the reaction environment, including glucose mutarotation, transient enediol formation, bicarbonate-associated proton-transfer events, thermal activation, and reorganization of hydrogen-bonding networks. Rather than producing a single discrete molecular entity, these processes may generate a chemically heterogeneous material system characterized by multiple related structural states. Such behavior is conceptually consistent with principles of systems chemistry and self-organization, where functional complexity may emerge from dynamic interactions among relatively simple molecular building blocks (Chen et al., 2022).

Although molecular uniformity is often desirable in classical synthetic chemistry, many biologically relevant materials, including polysaccharides, extracellular matrices, glycocalyx-associated structures, and natural biopolymers, derive their functionality from hierarchical organization and controlled heterogeneity rather than strict molecular homogeneity (Benalaya et al., 2024). Consequently, the coexistence of multiple carbohydrate-derived structural populations may be relevant to emergent physicochemical properties not available to individual glucose molecules alone (do Prado et al., 2019). Nevertheless, this interpretation requires direct functional validation. At the current stage, heterogeneity should be considered both a possible feature for materials development and a limitation for structural assignment.

The translational relevance of glucosodiene is suggested, but not proven, by its reported incorporation into ferrite–chitosan nanostructured systems exhibiting biological activity in vivo. These findings indicate that glucosodiene-containing formulations can be integrated into advanced nanostructured platforms; however, they do not yet define the independent contribution of glucosodiene, the role of the ferrite–chitosan matrix, or the precise biological mechanisms involved.

Therefore, these studies should be interpreted as supportive proof-of-application for further biomaterials investigation rather than definitive evidence that glucosodiene possesses intrinsic therapeutic activity. The oxygen-rich character of glucosodiene may facilitate interaction with polymeric matrices, metal-oxide nanoparticles, therapeutic cargos, and biological interfaces through hydrogen bonding, hydration effects, and multivalent intermolecular interactions, but these proposed interactions require direct experimental validation (Tousson et al., 2026; Ahmed and Akl, 2024).

An important issue is the relationship between the present interpretation and established glucose isomerization, dehydration, and degradation chemistry. Glucose is known to undergo mutarotation, base- or acid-associated isomerization, enediol-mediated rearrangement, dehydration, fragmentation, and condensation under suitable conditions. Therefore, the novelty of the present work should not be understood as the discovery that glucose can be chemically transformed. Instead, the proposed contribution is the observation that a short, simple, bicarbonate-containing aqueous treatment produces a recovered carbohydrate-derived material system that preserves substantial oxygen-rich carbohydrate character while displaying additional anomeric, oxygenated, and mass-spectrometric features. In this sense, the present study proposes bicarbonate-associated carbohydrate diversification as a preliminary working interpretation, not as a replacement for established glucose chemistry.

The possibility of glucose-derived humin or humin-like by-product formation must also be considered. Humins are generally described as chemically heterogeneous, carbonaceous, polymeric by-products formed during acid-catalyzed or dehydration-driven conversion of biomass-derived sugars and related platform molecules. Reported humin structures commonly involve furanic motifs, conjugated carbonyl-containing features, and condensed carbon-rich architectures arising from dehydration and condensation pathways (Velasco Calderón et al., 2022; Wassenberg et al., 2023). In contrast, the present material was obtained after a short aqueous treatment under bicarbonate-associated conditions and retained strong carbohydrate-associated NMR and FTIR signatures, including multiple oxygenated carbon environments, anomeric signals, hydroxyl absorption, and C–O/C–O–C features. These observations suggest that the recovered material should not be automatically assigned as a classical acid-derived glucose humin. However, the current dataset does not exclude the presence of humin-like minor products, dehydration products, unreacted glucose, or bicarbonate-associated inorganic residues. Therefore, distinguishing glucosodiene from unreacted carbohydrate, inorganic salts, dehydration products, and humin-like by-products requires further controlled characterization.

A further unresolved point concerns the specificity of bicarbonate. Gas evolution observed during heating cannot by itself be used as evidence of carbohydrate reorganization, because CO2 release may arise from bicarbonate/carbonate/CO2 speciation or thermal decomposition independently of glucose transformation. Accordingly, the role of bicarbonate should be considered provisional until appropriate controls are performed. Future studies should compare glucose-only, bicarbonate-only, glucose plus bicarbonate, pH-matched alkaline controls, carbonate controls, and ionic-strength controls under identical time-temperature conditions. Such comparisons will be essential for determining whether bicarbonate contributes specifically to carbohydrate diversification or primarily acts as a mild alkaline medium.

Another implication concerns the possible position of glucosodiene within the continuum between small carbohydrate molecules and higher-order carbohydrate assemblies. The coexistence of multiple anomeric environments, recurring oxygen-rich motifs, and heterogeneous mass distributions is compatible with supramolecular association, low-molecular-weight oligomeric populations, or proto-polymeric behavior. However, the current evidence does not justify classification of glucosodiene as a classical polymer or as a structurally defined oligomer. Molecular-weight-distribution studies, SEC/GPC, DOSY NMR, MALDI-TOF, and high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry will be required to clarify whether the recovered material contains oligomeric, supramolecular, or salt-associated carbohydrate populations.

A related unanswered question concerns the possible relationship between glucosodiene and biological recognition processes. Because glucosodiene originates from glucose while retaining substantial carbohydrate-associated features, reorganized carbohydrate architectures may interact with biological systems in ways that differ from both native glucose and conventional polysaccharides. Future investigations should therefore evaluate cellular recognition, membrane interaction, transport behavior, metabolic processing, lectin binding, and potential interactions with glucose-associated biological pathways. If such interactions are confirmed experimentally, glucosodiene-like systems may represent metabolically relevant carbohydrate-derived biomaterials capable of functions beyond conventional carrier or structural roles. At present, however, this remains a hypothesis rather than an established biological mechanism.

Several important limitations must therefore be acknowledged. The available analytical evidence does not permit definitive assignment of linkage positions, stereochemical configurations, molecular connectivity patterns, individual product identities, conversion extent, residual bicarbonate/carbonate content, or degree of oligomerization. Consequently, glucosodiene should currently be regarded as a structurally diversified carbohydrate-derived material system rather than a fully resolved molecular entity. Comprehensive structural characterization using quantitative HPLC or UPLC, qNMR with internal standards, HSQC, HMBC, COSY, NOESY, DOSY NMR, HRMS/MS, MALDI-TOF analysis, SEC/GPC measurements, ion chromatography, conductivity analysis, elemental analysis, ash-content determination, TGA/DSC, and molecular-weight-distribution studies will be essential for defining the structural and compositional boundaries of this material system.

Future studies should also investigate how reaction time and temperature influence the composition of the recovered material. Excessive heating of glucose is known to promote dehydration, fragmentation, condensation, and humin-like product formation. Therefore, systematic time-course and temperature-course experiments will be required to determine whether the short bicarbonate-associated treatment described here occupies a distinct region between simple glucose recovery and extensive degradation. Such studies should include visual monitoring, solubility assessment, UV–visible analysis for browning or conjugated chromophores, comparison with glucose-derived humin references, and quantitative measurement of unreacted glucose and inorganic residues (Dharmapriya et al., 2023).

Finally, future work should test whether bicarbonate-associated carbohydrate diversification can be generalized beyond glucose. Other monosaccharides, including fructose, galactose, mannose, ribose, and biologically relevant oligosaccharides, represent attractive candidates for evaluating the scope and limitations of the proposed interpretation. Demonstration of analogous behavior across multiple carbohydrate families, together with reproducible purification and quantitative characterization, would help determine whether this approach can be developed into a broader platform for generating carbohydrate-derived material systems. Recent progress in the direct transformation of native sugars without extensive protecting-group manipulation highlights both the importance and the difficulty of exploiting unmodified carbohydrates as chemical building blocks (Jiang et al., 2024).

Taken together, the current findings suggest that the importance of glucosodiene lies not solely in its unresolved chemical identity, but in its role as an initial experimental model for exploring bicarbonate-associated carbohydrate diversification. The central question emerging from this work is therefore not simply “What is glucosodiene?” but rather “Can simple bicarbonate-containing aqueous environments access carbohydrate-derived material states that are distinct from native glucose, classical selective glycosylation products, and extensively degraded humin-like materials?” If future controlled and quantitative investigations answer this question affirmatively, glucosodiene-like systems may provide a useful conceptual bridge connecting carbohydrate chemistry, systems chemistry, supramolecular organization, biomaterials engineering, nanotechnology, and future healthcare applications.

4 Conclusion

This Perspective presents glucosodiene as an operationally designated carbohydrate-derived material system obtained from a dextrose–sodium bicarbonate–water system under mild aqueous heating.

The combined 13C NMR, 1H NMR, FTIR, and LC-MS observations indicate that the recovered material is not adequately described as a single homogeneous native dextrose preparation, while retaining oxygen-rich carbohydrate-associated features. However, the present evidence does not establish a selective bicarbonate-controlled mechanism, individual product identities, conversion extent, residual bicarbonate/carbonate content, molecular connectivity, or molecular-weight distribution. Therefore, glucosodiene should be considered a preliminary experimental model for bicarbonate-associated carbohydrate diversification. Further controlled, quantitative, and high-resolution studies are required to distinguish it from unreacted glucose, inorganic residues, degradation products, and humin-like materials and to assess its future relevance to carbohydrate-enabled nanomedicine platforms.

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Footnotes

Edited by: Harekrishna Roy, Acharya Nagarjuna University, India

Reviewed by: Mohabul Mondal, Jadavpur University, India

Statements

Conflict of interest

The author(s) declared that this work was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Funding

The author(s) declared that financial support was not received for this work and/or its publication.

Data availability

The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/supplementary material, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.

Author contributions

MA: Formal Analysis, Project administration, Writing – original draft, Software, Visualization, Methodology, Data curation, Resources, Conceptualization, Investigation, Writing – review and editing, Validation, Supervision. AA: Supervision, Writing – original draft.

Acknowledgements

The author gratefully acknowledges all patients living with chronic diseases, whose resilience and endurance continue to inspire biomedical research and affirm its ultimate human purpose: to understand disease, relieve suffering, and improve lives. The author is also deeply grateful to a constant and unseen source of personal support, whose quiet belief, patience, and unwavering faith have remained a source of strength throughout this scientific journey.

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Citation

Akl, M. & Ahmed, A. (2026). Glucosodiene as a carbohydrate-derived material system: preliminary evidence from dextrose–bicarbonate aqueous diversification and potential relevance to future nanomedicine. Frontiers in Biomaterials Science, Volume 5. https://doi.org/
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5 - 2026

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Copyright © 2026 Akl and Ahmed.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

*Correspondence: Maher Akl

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