mannitol

[ man-i-tawl, -tol ]

noun

1. Chemistry. a white, crystalline, sweetish, water-soluble, carbohydrate alcohol, C 6 H 8 (OH) 6 , occurring in three optically different forms, the common one being found in the manna of the ash Fraxinus ornus and in other plants: used chiefly in the manufacture of resins, electrolytic condensers for radios, plasticizers, and mannitol hexanitrate, and as a pill excipient.
2. Pharmacology. the substance used as an osmotic diuretic to reduce intraocular and intracranial pressures.

mannitol

/ məˈnɪtɪk; ˈmænaɪt; ˈmænɪˌtɒl /

noun

1. a white crystalline water-soluble sweet-tasting alcohol, found in plants and used in diet sweets and as a dietary supplement ( E421 ). Formula: C 6 H 14 O 6

mannitol

/ măn′ĭ-tôl′,-tōl′ /

1. A white, crystalline, water-soluble, slightly sweet alcohol that is used as a dietary supplement and dietetic sweetener and in medical tests of kidney function. Mannitol occurs naturally as an important food storage and transportation molecule in brown algae like kelp. Chemical formula: C 6 H 14 O 6 .

Derived Forms

• mannitic, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mannitol¹

First recorded in 1875–80; mannite + -ol ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of mannitol¹

from mannose + -ite ² + -ol ¹

Example Sentences

One noninvasive test that’s sometimes used measures the ratio of lactulose to mannitol—a marker of mucosal intestinal function—but Singh says it isn’t widely available.

From Time