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

Furthermore, the presence of biological particles was confirmed through various methodologies, including electron microscopy and the detection of specific substances, such as the sugar alcohol compounds arabitol and mannitol.

From Science Daily

So the concentration of fentanyl — cut with acetaminophen when pressed into pills, and with sugars like lactose and mannitol in its powder form — varies widely from pill to pill and batch to batch.

From Seattle Times

Pineapples, olives, asparagus, sweet potatoes and carrots are natural sources of mannitol; cereals, mushrooms and some fruits and vegetables contain xylitol; and various fruits such as apples, pears, blackberries, peaches and prunes contain sorbitol.

From Seattle Times

In addition, some supplements as well as over-the-counter and prescription drugs can contain sorbitol or mannitol, sugar alcohols that may have a laxative effect or cause gas and bloating.

From Washington Post

When climate change helped trigger a 60-fold explosion of purple urchins off Northern California’s coast, the urchins went on a feeding frenzy, devouring sugar kelp, a source of the sweetener mannitol.

From Seattle Times