Sorbitol, also known as glucitol, is a sugar alcohol the body metabolises slowly. It is obtained by reduction of glucose changing the aldehyde group to an additional hydroxyl group hence the name sugar alcohol. In chemistry, the standard state of a material is its state at 1 bar (100 kilopascals) and 25 degrees Celsius (298. ... A sugar alcohol (also known as a polyol, polyhydric alcohol, or polyalcohol) is a hydrogenated form of carbohydrate, whose carbonyl group (aldehyde or ketone, reducing sugar) has been reduced to a primary or secondary hydroxyl group. ... Illustration of a redox reaction Redox (shorthand for oxidation/reduction reaction) describes all chemical reactions in which atoms have their oxidation number (oxidation state) changed. ... Glucose (Glc), a monosaccharide (or simple sugar), is the most important carbohydrate in biology. ... An aldehyde. ... // Hydroxyl group The term hydroxyl group is used to describe the functional group -OH when it is a substituent in an organic compound. ...

Use as a sweetener

Sorbitol is used in various cough syrups, and is usually listed under the inactive ingredients. There is a growing opinion within the medical community that it should be listed as an active ingredient, because too much sorbitol (about 50g or more for adults) can cause severe gastro-intestinal problems. Dextromethorphan hydrobromide (DXM for short) is an antitussive drug that is found in many over-the-counter cold remedies and cough syrups. ...

Sorbitol is a sugar substitute often used in diet foods (including diet drinks) and sugar-free chewing gum. It also occurs naturally in many stone fruits and berries from trees of the genus Sorbus^[1]. Sorbitol is also referred to as a nutritive sweetener because it provides calories or energy to the diet: 2.6 calories (11 kilojoules) per gram versus the average 4 calories (17 kJ) of sugar and starch, while retaining 50% of the sweetness. Sugar free redirects here. ... Chewing gum Chewing gum is a type of confectionery which is designed to be chewed instead of swallowed. ... The peach is a typical drupe (stone fruit) In botany, a drupe is a type of fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp or skin and mesocarp or flesh) surrounds a shell (the pit or stone) of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. ... Subgenera Sorbus Aria Micromeles Cormus Torminaria Chamaemespilus The genus Sorbus is a genus of about 100-200 species of trees and shrubs in the subfamily Maloideae of the Rose family Rosaceae. ... A calorie is a unit of measurement for energy. ... A kilojoule (abbreviation: kJ) is a unit of energy equal to 1000 joules. ... BIC pen cap, about 1 gram. ... Magnification of grains of sugar, showing their monoclinic hemihedral crystalline structure. ... Starch (CAS# 9005-25-8) is a complex carbohydrate which is soluble in water; it is used by plants as a way to store excess glucose. ... Sweetness is one of the five basic tastes, and is almost universally regarded as a pleasurable experience. ...

Clinical significance

Sorbitol is produced naturally by the body, yet sorbitol is poorly digested by the body. Too much sorbitol in cells can cause damage.^{[citation needed]}
This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Drawing of the structure of cork as it appeared under the microscope to Robert Hook from Micrographia which is the origin of the word cell. Cells in culture, stained for keratin (red) and DNA (green). ...

Diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy may be related to excess sorbitol in the cells of the eyes and nerves. The source of this sorbitol in diabetics is excess glucose, which goes through the polyol pathway. Ingesting large amounts of sorbitol can lead to some abdominal pain, gas, and mild to severe diarrhea. Sorbitol can also aggravate irritable bowel syndrome and fructose malabsorption. This article is about the disease that features high blood sugar. ... Retinopathy is a general term that refers to some form of non-inflammatory damage to the retina of the eye. ... Neuropathy, strictly speaking, is any disease that affects the nervous system. ... A human eye. ... Nerves (yellow) Nerves redirects here. ... Glucose (Glc), a monosaccharide (or simple sugar), is the most important carbohydrate in biology. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Types 5-7 on the Bristol Stool Chart are often associated with diarrhea Diarrhea (in American English) or diarrhoea (in British English) is a generally unpleasant condition in which the sufferer has frequent watery, loose bowel movements (from the ancient Greek word διαρροή = leakage; literally meaning to run through). Acute infectious... Fructose malabsorption is a condition in which the fructose carrier in enterocytes is deficient. ...

Other uses

Sorbitol is often used in modern cosmetics as a humectant and thickener. Some transparent gels can only be made with sorbitol as it has a refractive index sufficiently high for transparent formulations. It is also used as a humectant in some cigarettes. For other uses, see Cosmetic. ... A humectant is a hygroscopic substance that is used as a food additive. ... Thickening agents, or thickeners, are substances which, when added to the mixture, increase its viscosity without substantially modifying its other properties, like eg. ... In optical filters and theatrical lighting a color gel is a transparent or translucent colored panel used to change the color of transmitted light. ... The refractive index (or index of refraction) of a medium is a measure for how much the speed of light (or other waves such as sound waves) is reduced inside the medium. ... A humectant is a hygroscopic substance that is used as a food additive. ... A smoking symbol. ...

Sorbitol is used as a cryoprotectant additive (mixed with sucrose and sodium polyphosphates) in the manufacture of surimi, a highly refined, uncooked fish paste most commonly produced from Alaska (or walleye) pollock (Theragra chalcogramma). A cryoprotectant is a substance that is used to protect biological tissue from freezing damage (damage due to ice formation). ... Sucrose (common name: table sugar, also called saccharose) is a disaccharide (glucose + fructose) with the molecular formula C12H22O11. ... Above is a ball-and-stick model of the inorganic hydrogenphosphate anion (HPO42−). Colour coding: P (orange); O (red); H (white). ... [[[[[[ == Foods made from surimi: artificial shrimp and crab legs Surimi (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; literally fish puree/slurry, Japanese: 擂り身, lit. ... A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are typically cold-blooded; covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ... Official language(s) English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Area  Ranked 1st  - Total 663,267 sq mi (1,717,855 km²)  - Width 808 miles (1,300 km)  - Length 1,479 miles (2,380 km)  - % water 13. ... Species Pollachius pollachius Pollachius virens Pollock is the common name used for either of the two species of marine fish in the Pollachius genus. ...

Furthermore, Sorbitol, combined with Kayexalate, helps the body rid itself of excess Potassium ions in a hyperkalemic state. The Kayexalate exchanges sodium ions for potassium ions in the bowel, while sorbitol helps to eliminate it.

Sorbitol when combined with potassium nitrate has found some success as an amateur solid rocket fuel.^[2]

Sorbitol is identified as a potential key chemical intermediate ^[3] from biomass resources. Complete reduction of sorbitol opens the way to alkanes such as hexane which can be used as a biofuel. Sorbitol itself provides much of the hydrogen required for the transformation. Switchgrass, a hardy plant used in the biofuel industry in the United States Rice chaff. ... Chemical structure of methane, the simplest alkane Alkanes are chemical compounds that consists only of the elements carbon (C) and hydrogen (H) (i. ... the 3rd ingredient in big mac ... Sugar cane can be used as a biofuel. ...

19 C₆O₆H₁₄ → 13 C₆H₁₄ + 36 CO₂ + 42 H₂O

The above chemical reaction is exothermic and 1.5 mole of sorbitol generates 1 mole of hexane. When hydrogen is co-fed, no carbon dioxide production takes place. Vapours of hydrogen chloride in a beaker and ammonia in a test tube meet to form a cloud of a new substance, ammonium chloride A chemical reaction is a process that results in the interconversion of chemical substances. ... In chemistry, an exothermic reaction is one that releases heat . ... The mole (symbol: mol) is the SI base unit that measures an amount of substance. ... the 3rd ingredient in big mac ... Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ...

See also

• Mannitol
• Xylitol

Mannitol or hexan-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol (C6H8(OH)6) is an osmotic diuretic agent and a weak renal vasodilator. ... Xylitol, also called wood sugar or birch sugar, is a five-carbon sugar alcohol that is used as a sugar substitute. ...

External links

• NIH Diabetes dictionary — see entry on sorbitol

References

1. ^ Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry, Nelson and Cox, Fourth Edition
2. ^ Richard Nakka's Experimental Rocketry Web Site
3. ^ Production of Liquid Hydrocarbons from Biomass Jürgen O. Metzger Angewandte Chemie International Edition Volume 45, Issue 5 , Pages 696 - 698 2005 Abstract