Showing chemical card for D-sorbitol (CFc000337773)
Record Information
Version
1.0
Creation Date
Update Date
2022-09-14 05:31:47 UTC
Chemfont ID
CFc000337773
Molecule Identification
Common Name
D-sorbitol
Definition
Sorbitol, also known as neosorb or D-glucitol, is a member of the class of compounds known as sugar alcohols. Sugar alcohols are hydrogenated forms of carbohydrate in which the carbonyl group (aldehyde or ketone, reducing sugar) has been reduced to a primary or secondary hydroxyl group. Sorbitol is soluble (in water) and a very weakly acidic compound (based on its pKa). Sorbitol can be found in a number of food items such as maitake, sour cherry, red rice, and lime, which makes sorbitol a potential biomarker for the consumption of these food products. Sorbitol can be found primarily in most biofluids, including blood, urine, feces, and saliva, as well as throughout most human tissues. Sorbitol exists in all living species, ranging from bacteria to humans. In humans, sorbitol is involved in few metabolic pathways, which include fructose and mannose degradation, fructose intolerance, hereditary, and galactose metabolism. Sorbitol is also involved in a couple of metabolic disorders, which include fructosuria and galactosemia. Moreover, sorbitol is found to be associated with alzheimer's disease. Sorbitol is a drug which is used as a non-stimulant laxative via an oral suspension or enema. Sorbitol (), less commonly known as glucitol (), is a sugar alcohol with a sweet taste which the human body metabolizes slowly. It can be obtained by reduction of glucose, which changes the aldehyde group to a hydroxyl group. Most sorbitol is made from corn syrup, but it is also found in nature, for example in apples, pears, peaches, and prunes. It is converted to fructose by sorbitol-6-phosphate 2-dehydrogenase. Sorbitol is an isomer of mannitol, another sugar alcohol; the two differ only in the orientation of the hydroxyl group on carbon 2. While similar, the two sugar alcohols have very different sources in nature, melting points, and uses .
Belongs to the class of organic compounds known as sugar alcohols. These are hydrogenated forms of carbohydrate in which the carbonyl group (aldehyde or ketone, reducing sugar) has been reduced to a primary or secondary hydroxyl group.
