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What does alpha acetal linkage mean?
An alpha acetal linkage is a glycoside linkage that points in the opposite direction to the ##"CH"_2"OH"## group.
Let's begin by defining terms.
An acetal is a functional group formed when an aldehyde reacts with an alcohol to form a functional group with two ether groups on the same carbon.
The term "alpha acetal" usually refers to carbohydrates and their derivatives.
In the cyclic form of a carbohydrate, the anomeric carbon is the carbon that was the carbonyl carbon in the acyclic form.
Notice that the ##"OH"## on the anomeric carbon can be "up" or "down" (more on this later).
A glycosidic linkage is the bond that forms when the hemiacetal ##"OH"## of the anomeric carbon reacts with another alcohol group to form an acetal.
For example,
The ##"OH"## group could come from another carbohydrate, For example,
If the glycoside linkage points "down" (i.e., in a direction opposite to the ##"CH"_2"OH"## group), it is called an alpha acetal or an alpha glycoside linkage.
