Definition

Noun 1. A type of sugar alcohol: Mannitol is a white, crystalline, water-soluble substance that occurs naturally in some plants and is produced industrially. It is a polyol (sugar alcohol) with the chemical formula C₆H₁₄O₆. 2. A pharmaceutical agent: In medicine, mannitol is used as an osmotic diuretic to increase urine production and to reduce pressure in the brain or eyes. It is also used as a renal diagnostic aid and to promote the excretion of certain toxins.

Usage Examples

• As a natural substance:
  • Mannitol is found in various seaweeds, mushrooms, and trees like the manna ash.
  • This sweetener is often listed as mannitol in the ingredients of sugar-free candy.
• As a medical treatment:
  • The doctor administered mannitol to reduce the patient's intracranial pressure.
  • Intravenous mannitol is used to force diuresis in cases of acute renal failure.

Advanced Usage

• In Food Science: Mannitol is used as a sweetener, stabilizer, and thickener. It is less sweet than sucrose and does not promote tooth decay.
  • Due to its low glycemic index, mannitol is a common sugar substitute in diabetic-friendly foods.
• In Chemistry/Industry: It serves as a starting material for the synthesis of resins and surfactants.
  • The chemical stability of mannitol makes it useful in various industrial applications.

Variants and Related Words

• Osmitrol (noun): A common trade name for the pharmaceutical preparation of mannitol.
• Sorbitol (noun): Another sugar alcohol often used similarly as a sweetener and humectant, closely related to mannitol.
• Polyol (noun): The general class of sugar alcohols to which mannitol belongs.

Synonyms

• Osmotic diuretic (noun, in medical context): Describes its primary pharmaceutical function.
• Sugar alcohol (noun, in chemical/food context): Describes its chemical classification.

Related Phrases / Compounds

• Mannitol salt agar (noun phrase): A selective bacterial growth medium containing mannitol, used in microbiology to identify certain species like .
• Mannitol challenge test (noun phrase): A medical test sometimes used to assess airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma diagnosis.

Noun

1. a diuretic (trade name Osmitrol) used to promote the excretion of urine