Sugar alcohols

Glycerol () is a sugar alcohol with chemical formula . It has three carbon atoms and as many hydroxyl groups. It is a colorless, odorless, sweet-tasting, viscous liquid at Standard Ambient Temperature and Pressure (SATP). Because of its three hydroxyl groups, glycerol is miscible with water and is hygroscopic in nature.

organic compound used in the making of polyester fibers and in antifreeze formulations

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 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. 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 carbon2. While similar, t

Xylitol is an organic compound with the formula . Two other isomeric sugar alcohols exist. It is a colorless or white crystalline solid. It is classified as a polyalcohol and a sugar alcohol, specifically an alditol. Of the common sugar alcohols, only sorbitol is more soluble in water.

Mannitol is a type of sugar alcohol used as a sweetener and medication. It is used as a low-calorie sweetener as it is poorly absorbed by the intestines. As a medication, it is used to decrease pressure in the eyes, as in glaucoma, and to lower increased intracranial pressure. Medically, it is given by injection or inhalation. Effects typically begin within 15 minutes and last up to 8 hours.

Erythritol (, ) is an organic compound, the naturally occurring achiral meso four-carbon sugar alcohol (or polyol). It is the reduced form of either D- or L-erythrose and one of the two reduced forms of erythrulose. It is used as a food additive and sugar substitute. It is synthesized from corn using enzymes and fermentation. Its formula is , or HO(CH2)(CHOH)2(CH2)OH.

Maltitol is a sugar alcohol (a polyol) used as a sugar substitute and laxative. It has 75–90% of the sweetness of sucrose (table sugar) and nearly identical properties, except for browning. It is used to replace table sugar because it is half as calorific, does not promote tooth decay, and has a somewhat lesser effect on blood glucose. In chemical terms, maltitol is known as '4-O-α-glucopyranosyl--sorbitol'. It is used in commercial products under trade names such as Lesys, Maltisweet and SweetPearl.

Lactitol is a disaccharide sugar alcohol produced from lactose. It is used as a replacement bulk sweetener for low calorie foods with 30–40% of the sweetness of sucrose. It is also used medically as a laxative.

Isomalt is a sugar substitute, a mixture of the two disaccharide alcohols 1,6-GPS and 1,1-GPM. It is used primarily for its sugar-like physical properties. It has little to no impact on blood sugar levels, and does not stimulate the release of insulin. It also does not promote tooth decay and is considered to be tooth-friendly. Its energy value is 2 kcal per gram, half that of sugars. It is less sweet than sugar, but can be blended with high-intensity sweeteners such as sucralose to create a mixture with the same sweetness as sucrose (‘sugar’).

Ribitol, or adonitol, is a crystalline pentose alcohol (C5H12O5) formed by the reduction of ribose. It occurs naturally in the plant Adonis vernalis as well as in the cell walls of some Gram-positive bacteria, in the form of ribitol phosphate, in teichoic acids. It also forms part of the chemical structure of riboflavin and flavin mononucleotide (FMN), which is a nucleotide coenzyme used by many enzymes, the so-called flavoproteins.

carbohydrate that is an acyclic polyol having the general formula HOCH2[CH(OH)]nCH2OH (formally derivable from an aldose by reduction of the carbonyl group)

Galactitol (dulcitol) is a sugar alcohol, the reduction product of galactose. It has a slightly sweet taste. In people with galactokinase deficiency, a form of galactosemia, excess dulcitol forms in the lens of the eye leading to cataracts.

Arabitol, or arabinitol, is a sugar alcohol. It can be formed by the reduction of either arabinose. Some organic acid tests check for the presence of D-arabitol, which may indicate overgrowth of intestinal microbes such as Candida albicans or other yeast/fungus species.

Methanediol, also known as formaldehyde monohydrate or methylene glycol, is an organic compound with chemical formula . It is the simplest geminal diol. In aqueous solutions it coexists with oligomers (short polymers). The compound is closely related and convertible to the industrially significant derivatives paraformaldehyde (), formaldehyde (), and 1,3,5-trioxane ().

Threitol is the chiral four-carbon sugar alcohol with the molecular formula C4H10O4. It is primarily used as an intermediate in the chemical synthesis of other compounds. It exists in the enantiomorphic forms D-threitol and L-threitol, the reduced forms of D- and L-threose. It is the diastereomer of erythritol, which is used as a sugar substitute.

Iditol is a sugar alcohol which accumulates in galactokinase deficiency.

Volemitol is a naturally occurring seven-carbon sugar alcohol. It is a substance widely distributed in plants, red algae, fungi, mosses, and lichens. It was also found in lipopolysaccharides from E. coli. In certain higher plants, such as Primula, volemitol plays several important physiological roles. It functions as a photosynthetic product, phloem translocate, and storage carbohydrate.

Fucitol, also known as L-fucitol, 1-deoxy-L-galactitol, and '(2R,3S,4R,5S)-hexane-1,2,3,4,5-pentol', is a sugar alcohol derived from fucoidan which is found in the North Atlantic seaweed Fucus vesiculosus or by the reduction of fucose.

Mixture of sugar alcohols

Mannosulfan (INN) is an alkylating agent with the potential for the treatment of cancer. It is not approved by the United States FDA for cancer treatment. Research suggests it is less toxic than the alkyl sulfonate Busulfan.

Velagliflozin, sold under the brand name Senvelgo, is an antidiabetic medication used for the treatment of cats. Velagliflozin is a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor. It is taken by mouth.