Sorbitol

Sorbitol
Names
IUPAC name
D-Glucitol[1]
Systematic IUPAC name
(2S,3R,4R,5R)-Hexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol
Other names
D-Sorbitol; Sorbogem; Sorbo
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChEBI
ChEMBL
ChemSpider
DrugBank
ECHA InfoCard 100.000.056 Edit this at Wikidata
E number E420 (thickeners, ...)
KEGG
MeSH Sorbitol
UNII
  • InChI=1S/C6H14O6/c7-1-3(9)5(11)6(12)4(10)2-8/h3-12H,1-2H2/t3-,4+,5-,6-/m1/s1 ☒N[pubchem]
    Key: FBPFZTCFMRRESA-JGWLITMVSA-N ☒N[pubchem]
  • InChI=1/C6H14O6/c7-1-3(9)5(11)6(12)4(10)2-8/h3-12H,1-2H2/t3-,4+,5-,6-/m1/s1
    Key: FBPFZTCFMRRESA-JGWLITMVSA
  • OC([C@H](O)[C@@H](O)[C@H](O)CO)CO
Properties
C6H14O6
Molar mass 182.17 g/mol
Appearance White crystalline powder
Density 1.49 g/cm3[2]
Melting point 94–96 °C (201–205 °F; 367–369 K)[2]
2350 g/L[2]
log P -4.67[3]
-107.80·10−6 cm3/mol
Pharmacology
A06AD18 (WHO) A06AG07 (WHO) B05CX02 (WHO) V04CC01 (WHO)
Hazards
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)
NFPA 704 four-colored diamondHealth 1: Exposure would cause irritation but only minor residual injury. E.g. turpentineFlammability 1: Must be pre-heated before ignition can occur. Flash point over 93 °C (200 °F). E.g. canola oilInstability 0: Normally stable, even under fire exposure conditions, and is not reactive with water. E.g. liquid nitrogenSpecial hazards (white): no code
1
1
0
Flash point > 100 °C (212 °F; 373 K)[2]
420 °C (788 °F; 693 K)[2]
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
☒N verify (what is checkY☒N ?)

Sorbitol (/ˈsɔː(r)bɪtɒl/), less commonly known as glucitol (/ˈɡluːsɪtɒl/), 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 converted aldehyde group (−CHO) to a primary alcohol group (−CH2OH). Most sorbitol is made from potato starch, but it is also found in nature, for example in apples, pears, peaches, and prunes.[4] 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.[5] While similar, the two sugar alcohols have very different sources in nature, melting points, and uses.

As an over-the-counter drug, sorbitol is used as a laxative to treat constipation.[6]

  1. ^ publications.iupac.org/pac/1996/pdf/6810x1919.pdf
  2. ^ a b c d e Record in the GESTIS Substance Database of the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
  3. ^ "Sorbitol_msds".
  4. ^ Teo G, Suzuki Y, Uratsu SL, Lampinen B, Ormonde N, Hu WK, Dejong TM, Dandekar AM (2006). "Silencing leaf sorbitol synthesis alters long-distance partitioning and apple fruit quality". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 103 (49): 18842–7. Bibcode:2006PNAS..10318842T. doi:10.1073/pnas.0605873103. PMC 1693749. PMID 17132742.
  5. ^ Kearsley, M. W.; Deis, R. C. Sorbitol and Mannitol. In Sweeteners and Sugar Alternatives in Food Technology; Ames: Oxford, 2006; pp 249-249-261.
  6. ^ "Sorbitol". Drugs.com. 23 November 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2022.