In this work, the catalytic conversion of monosaccharides, such as D-glucose, D-fiructose, D-mannose, Dgalactose, and D-Xylose, into lactic acid and alclonic acid in an alkaline media using supported noble metal catalysts under flowing air was investigated. Thus far, the conventional chemical conversions Of D-glucose into lactic acid, such as alkaline degradations and hot water reactions, involved large amounts of by-products including unidentified compounds. To improve the atom economy for the D-glucose conversion, we examined a one-pot reaction of D-glucose into lactic acid and gluconic acid with the alkaline degradation and the air oxidation using supported metal catalysts. It succeeded in yielding about 45 C-% of lactic acid and about 45 C-% of gluconic acid from D-glucose using Pt/C catalysts with a 1.0 mol L-1 of sodium hydroxide aqueous solution at 353 K under flowing air. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.