Why is glucose syrup refined to remove the enzyme, glucose isomerase?
Molecules with an asymmetric carbon atom can exist in different forms, but with the same formula. For example, glucose can exist as D- and L- optical isomers as well as alpha-, beta- and open chain isomers. These different forms are called isomers and are named (for example) D-glucose, L-glucose, alpha-glucose and beta-glucose. All these have the formula C6H12O6. Isomerase is, of course, an enzyme which catalyses the change between these different isomeric forms. A chemical manufacturer will need to remove any isomerase enzyme if a pure chemical form of a single isomer of glucose is to be produced.
