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Sorbitol

 

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Sorbitol



 
 
Sorbitol, also known as glucitol, is a sugar alcohol
Sugar alcohol

A sugar alcohol is a hydrogenation form of carbohydrate, whose carbonyl group has been reduced to a primary or secondary hydroxyl group . Sugar alcohols have the general formula Hn+1H, whereas sugars have HnHCO....
 that the body metabolises slowly. It is obtained by reduction
Redox

Redox describes all chemical reactions in which atoms have their oxidation number changed.This can be either a simple redox process such as the oxidation of carbon to yield carbon dioxide or the reduction of carbon by hydrogen to yield methane , or it can be a complex process such as the oxidation of sugar in the human body through a ser...
 of glucose
Glucose

Glucose , a monosaccharide also known as grape sugar, blood sugar, or corn sugar, is a very important carbohydrate in biology....
 changing the aldehyde
Aldehyde

An aldehyde is an organic compound containing a terminal carbonyl group. This functional group, which consists of a carbon atom bonded to a hydrogen atom and double bond to an oxygen atom , is called the aldehyde group....
 group to an additional hydroxyl
Hydroxyl

Hydroxyl in chemistry stands for a molecule consisting of an oxygen atom and a hydrogen atom connected by a covalent bond. The neutral form is a hydroxyl Radical and the hydroxyl anion is called a hydroxide....
 group.

itol is a sugar substitute
Sugar substitute

A sugar substitute is a food additive that duplicates the effect of sugar in taste, but usually has less food energy. Some sugar substitutes are natural and some are synthetic....
 often used in diet food
Diet food

Diet food refers to any food or drink whose recipe has been altered in some way to make it part of a body modification Dieting. Although the usual intention is weight loss and change in body type, sometimes the intention is to aid in gaining weight or muscle as in bodybuilding supplements....
s (including diet drinks and ice cream) and sugar-free chewing gum
Chewing gum

Chewing gum is a type of confection traditionally made of chicle, a natural latex product, or synthetic rubber. For reasons of economy and quality, many modern chewing gums use rubber instead of chicle....
, mints and cough syrups. It may be listed under the inactive ingredients. It also occurs naturally in many stone fruits and berries from trees of the genus Sorbus
Sorbus

Sorbus is a genus of about 100?200 species of trees and shrubs in the subfamily Maloideae of the Rose family Rosaceae. Species of Sorbus are commonly known as whitebeam, rowan, service tree, and Sorbus aucuparia....
.






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Encyclopedia


Sorbitol, also known as glucitol, is a sugar alcohol
Sugar alcohol

A sugar alcohol is a hydrogenation form of carbohydrate, whose carbonyl group has been reduced to a primary or secondary hydroxyl group . Sugar alcohols have the general formula Hn+1H, whereas sugars have HnHCO....
 that the body metabolises slowly. It is obtained by reduction
Redox

Redox describes all chemical reactions in which atoms have their oxidation number changed.This can be either a simple redox process such as the oxidation of carbon to yield carbon dioxide or the reduction of carbon by hydrogen to yield methane , or it can be a complex process such as the oxidation of sugar in the human body through a ser...
 of glucose
Glucose

Glucose , a monosaccharide also known as grape sugar, blood sugar, or corn sugar, is a very important carbohydrate in biology....
 changing the aldehyde
Aldehyde

An aldehyde is an organic compound containing a terminal carbonyl group. This functional group, which consists of a carbon atom bonded to a hydrogen atom and double bond to an oxygen atom , is called the aldehyde group....
 group to an additional hydroxyl
Hydroxyl

Hydroxyl in chemistry stands for a molecule consisting of an oxygen atom and a hydrogen atom connected by a covalent bond. The neutral form is a hydroxyl Radical and the hydroxyl anion is called a hydroxide....
 group.

Uses


Sweetener

Sorbitol is a sugar substitute
Sugar substitute

A sugar substitute is a food additive that duplicates the effect of sugar in taste, but usually has less food energy. Some sugar substitutes are natural and some are synthetic....
 often used in diet food
Diet food

Diet food refers to any food or drink whose recipe has been altered in some way to make it part of a body modification Dieting. Although the usual intention is weight loss and change in body type, sometimes the intention is to aid in gaining weight or muscle as in bodybuilding supplements....
s (including diet drinks and ice cream) and sugar-free chewing gum
Chewing gum

Chewing gum is a type of confection traditionally made of chicle, a natural latex product, or synthetic rubber. For reasons of economy and quality, many modern chewing gums use rubber instead of chicle....
, mints and cough syrups. It may be listed under the inactive ingredients. It also occurs naturally in many stone fruits and berries from trees of the genus Sorbus
Sorbus

Sorbus is a genus of about 100?200 species of trees and shrubs in the subfamily Maloideae of the Rose family Rosaceae. Species of Sorbus are commonly known as whitebeam, rowan, service tree, and Sorbus aucuparia....
. Sorbitol is referred to as a nutritive sweetener because it provides dietary energy: 2.6 kilocalories (11 kilojoules) per gram
Gram

The gram , ; symbol g, is a Physical unit of mass.Originally defined as "the absolute weight of a volume of pure water equal to the cube of the hundredth part of a metre, and at the temperature of melting ice" , a gram is now defined as one one-thousandth of the SI base unit, the kilogram, or Scientific notation kg, which itself is...
 versus the average 4 kilocalories (17 kilojoules) for carbohydrates.

Laxative

Sorbitol can be used as a non-stimulant laxative
Laxative

Laxatives are foods, compounds, or drugs taken to induce bowel movements or to loosen the stool, most often taken to treat constipation. Certain stimulant, lubricant, and saline laxatives are used to evacuate the Colon for rectum and bowel examinations, and may be supplemented by enemas in that circumstance....
 as either an oral suspension or suppository
Suppository

A suppository is a drug delivery system that is inserted either into the rectum , vagina or urethra where it dissolves.They are used to deliver both systemically-acting and locally-acting medications....
. It works by drawing water into the large intestine
Large intestine

The large intestine is the last part of the digestive system?the final stage of the alimentary canal?in vertebrate animals. Its function is to absorb water from the remaining indigestible food matter, and then to pass this useless feces from the body....
, thereby stimulating bowel movements. Sorbitol has been determined safe to use in the elderly although it is by no means recommended.

Medicine

Sorbitol is used in bacterial culture media to distinguish Escherichia coli 0154:H7 from most other strains of E. coli.

Sorbitol, combined with kayexalate
Sodium polystyrene sulfonate

Sodium polystyrene sulfonate is a type of polymer and ionomer based on polystyrene....
, helps the body rid itself of excess potassium
Potassium

Potassium is a chemical element. It has the symbol K , atomic number 19, and atomic mass 39.0983. Potassium was first isolated from potash, hence the name....
 ions in a hyperkalaemic state. The kayexalate exchanges sodium ions for potassium ions in the bowel, while sorbitol helps to eliminate it.

Health care, food, and cosmetics

Sorbitol is often used in modern cosmetics
Cosmetics

Cosmetics are substances used to enhance or protect the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care Cream , lotions, Powder , perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and gels, deodorants, baby products, bath oils, bubb...
 as a humectant
Humectant

A humectant is a hygroscopic Chemical substance. It is often a molecule with several hydrophilic groups, most often hydroxyl groups, but amines and carboxyl groups, sometimes esterified, can be encountered as well; the affinity to form hydrogen bonds with molecules of water is crucial here....
 and thickener. Sorbitol is often used in mouthwash
Mouthwash

Mouthwash or mouth rinse is a product used for oral hygiene. Antiseptic and anti-plaque mouth rinse claims to kill the plaque causing Dental caries, gingivitis, and bad breath....
 and toothpaste
Toothpaste

Toothpaste is a paste or gel dentifrice used to clean and maintain the aesthetics and health of teeth. Toothpaste is used to promote oral hygiene: it can aid in the removal of dental plaque and food from the teeth, aid in the elimination and/or masking of halitosis and deliver active ingredients such as fluoride or xylitol to prevent tooth...
, as it is said that when mixed with other certain ingredients it can help fight plaque. Some transparent gel
Gel

A gel is a solid, gelatin material that can have properties ranging from soft and weak to hard and tough. Gels are defined as a substantially dilute crosslinked system, which exhibits no flow when in the steady-state....
s can only be made with sorbitol as it has a refractive index
Refractive index

The refractive index of a medium is a measure for how much the speed of light is reduced inside the medium. For example, typical soda-lime glass has a refractive index of 1.5, which means that in glass, light travels at times the speed of light in a vacuum....
 sufficiently high for transparent formulations. Sorbitol is used as a cryoprotectant
Cryoprotectant

A cryoprotectant is a substance that is used to protect biological tissue from freezing damage . Arctic and Antarctic insects, fish, amphibians and reptiles create cryoprotectants in their bodies to minimize freezing damage during cold winter periods....
 additive (mixed with sucrose
Sucrose

Sucrose is a disaccharide of glucose and fructose, with the molecular formula C12H22O11. Its systematic name is a-D-glucopyranosyl- -?-D-fructofuranoside ....
 and sodium polyphosphate
Phosphate

A phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a Salt of phosphoric acid. Inorganic phosphates are mining to obtain phosphorus for use in agriculture and industry....
s) in the manufacture of surimi
Surimi

Surimi is a Japanese loan word referring to a food product intended to mimic the meat of lobster, crab, and other shellfish. It typically is made from white-fleshed fish that has been pulverized to a paste and attains a rubbery texture when cooked....
, a highly refined fish paste most commonly produced from Alaska
Alaska

Alaska is the largest U.S. state of the United States by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait....
 (or walleye) pollock
Pollock

Pollock is the common name used for either of the two species of ocean fish in the Pollachius genus. Both P. pollachius and P. virens are commonly referred to as pollock....
 (Theragra chalcogramma). It is also used as a humectant
Humectant

A humectant is a hygroscopic Chemical substance. It is often a molecule with several hydrophilic groups, most often hydroxyl groups, but amines and carboxyl groups, sometimes esterified, can be encountered as well; the affinity to form hydrogen bonds with molecules of water is crucial here....
 in some cigarette
Cigarette

A cigarette is a product consumed through smoking and manufactured out of curing and finely cut tobacco leaves and reconstituted tobacco, often combined with other List of additives in cigarettes, then rolled or stuffed into a paper-wrapped cylinder ....
s.

Other uses

A mixture of sorbitol and potassium nitrate
Potassium nitrate

Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula PotassiumNitrogenOxygen3. A naturally occurring mineral source of nitrogen, KNO3 constitutes a critical oxidation component of black powder/gunpowder....
 has found some success as an amateur solid rocket fuel.

Sorbitol is identified as a potential key chemical intermediate from biomass
Biomass

Biomass, as a renewable energy source, refers to living and recently dead biological material that can be used as fuel or for industrial production....
 resources. Complete reduction of sorbitol opens the way to alkane
Alkane

Alkanes, also known as paraffins, are chemical compounds that consist only of the elements carbon and hydrogen , wherein these atoms are linked together exclusively by single bonds without any cyclic structure ....
s such as hexane
Hexane

Hexane is an alkane hydrocarbon with the chemical formula CH34CH3 or C6H14. The "hex" prefix refers to its six carbons, while the "ane" ending indicates that its carbons are connected by single bonds....
 which can be used as a biofuel
Biofuel

Biofuel is defined as solid, liquid or gaseous fuel derived from relatively recently dead biological material and is distinguished from fossil fuels, which are petroleum#formation....
. Sorbitol itself provides much of the hydrogen required for the transformation.

19 C6O6H14 ? 13 C6H14 + 36 CO2 + 42 H2O


The above chemical reaction
Chemical reaction

A chemical reaction is a process that always results in the interconversion of chemical substances. The substance or substances initially involved in a chemical reaction are called reactants....
 is exothermic
Exothermic reaction

An exothermic reaction is a chemical reaction that releases energy in the form of heat. It is the opposite of an endothermic reaction. Expressed in a chemical equation:...
; 1.5 mole
Mole (unit)

The mole is a Units of measurement of amount of substance: it is an SI base unit, and one of the few units used to measure this physical quantity....
 of sorbitol generates approximately 1 mole of hexane
Hexane

Hexane is an alkane hydrocarbon with the chemical formula CH34CH3 or C6H14. The "hex" prefix refers to its six carbons, while the "ane" ending indicates that its carbons are connected by single bonds....
. When hydrogen is co-fed, no carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalent bond to a single carbon atom. It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure and exists in Earth's atmosphere in this state....
 is produced.

Medical importance

Even in the absence of dietary sorbitol, cell
Cell (biology)

The cell is the structural and functional unit of all known Life organisms. It is the smallest unit of an organism that is classified as living, and is often called the building bricks of life....
s produce sorbitol naturally. Too much sorbitol production can cause damage. Diabetic retinopathy
Retinopathy

Retinopathy is a general term that refers to some form of non-inflammatory damage to the retina of the eye. Most commonly it is a problem with the blood supply that is the cause for this condition....
 and neuropathy
Neuropathy

Neuropathy is a medical term describing disorders of the nerves of the peripheral nervous system It is usually considered equivalent to peripheral neuropathy....
 may be related to excess sorbitol in the cells of the eye
Eye

Eyes are Organ that detect light, and send signals along the optic nerve to the visual system and other areas of the brain. Complex optical systems with resolving power have come in ten fundamentally different forms, and 96% of animal species possess a complex optical system....
s and nerve
Nerve

A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of Peripheral nervous system axons . A nerve provides a common pathway for the electrochemical nerve impulses that are transmitted along each of the axons....
s. The source of this sorbitol in diabetics is excess glucose
Glucose

Glucose , a monosaccharide also known as grape sugar, blood sugar, or corn sugar, is a very important carbohydrate in biology....
, which goes through the sorbitol-aldose reductase pathway
Polyol pathway

Also called the sorbitol-aldose reductase pathway, the polyol pathway appears to be implicated in diabetic complications, especially in microvascular damage to the retina, kidney, and nerves....
.

In some human enzymes deficiencies such as galactosemia
Galactosemia

Galactosemia is a rare genetics Metabolism Disease which affects an individual's ability to properly metabolize the sugar galactose.Galactosemia is somestimes confused with Lactose-Intolerance, but unlike lactose-intolerance, galactosemia is not something that someone can "grow out of." Once diagnosed, its there for the rest of the persons li...
, sorbitol excess arises and can cause damage to the body. In diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus , often referred to simply as diabetes , is a syndrome of disordered metabolism, usually due to a combination of genetic disorder and environmental causes, resulting in abnormally high blood sugar levels ....
, enzyme deficiency in the lens of the eye may cause sorbitol accumulation and cataract
Cataract

A cataract is a clouding that develops in the lens of the eye or in its envelope, varying in degree from slight to complete Opacity and obstructing the passage of light....
s.

Safety

Sorbitol’s safety is supported by numerous studies reported in the scientific literature. In developing the current U.S. food and drug regulation which affirms sorbitol as Generally Reconized as Safe
Gras

Gras is a Communes of France in the Ard?che Departments of France in southern France....
 (GRAS), the safety data were evaluated by qualified scientists of the Select Committee on GRAS Substances selected by the Life Sciences Office of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). In the opinion of the Select Committee, there was no evidence demonstrating a hazard where sorbitol was used at current levels or at levels that might be expected in the future. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s regulation for sorbitol requires the following label statement for foods whose reasonably foreseeable consumption may result in the daily ingestion of 50 grams of sorbitol: “Excess consumption may have a laxative effect.”

The Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) has reviewed the safety data and concluded that sorbitol is safe. JECFA has established an acceptable daily intake (ADI) for sorbitol of “not specified,” meaning no limits are placed on its use. An ADI “not specified” is the safest category in which JECFA can place a food ingredient. JECFA’s decisions are often adopted by many small countries which do not have their own agencies to review food additive safety.

The Scientific Committee for Food of the European Union (EU) published a comprehensive assessment of sweeteners in 1985, concluding that sorbitol is acceptable for use, also without setting a limit on its use.

Overdose effects

Ingesting large amounts of sorbitol can lead to abdominal pain, gas, and mild to severe diarrhea
Diarrhea

In medicine, diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea , is characterized by frequent loose or liquid bowel movements. The spelling of "diarrhea" is an appropriation of the Greek "diarrhoia" meaning "a flowing through." ....
. Sorbitol ingestion of 20 grams/day as sugar-free gum has led to severe diarrhea leading to unintended weight loss of 24 lbs in a 114 lb woman; another patient required hospitalization after habitually consuming 30 grams/day.

See also

  • Mannitol
    Mannitol

    Mannitol is an organic compound with the formula . This polyol is used as an osmosis diuretic agent and a weak kidney vasodilator. It was originally isolated from the secretions of the flowering ash, called manna after their resemblance to the Biblical food, and is also be referred to as mannite and manna sugar....
  • Xylitol
    Xylitol

    Xylitol is an organic compound with the formula 32. This achiral species is one of four isomers of 1,2,3,4,5-pentapentanol....


External links

  • — see entry on sorbitol