INOSITOL

Inositol is widely added to infant formula and OTC supplements for general health support.
Inositol has been used as an adulterant or cutting agent for many illegal drugs, such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and sometimes heroin, probably because of its solubility, powdery texture, or reduced sweetness (50%) compared to more common sugars.
Inositol is also used as a stand-in film prop for cocaine in filmmaking.

CAS number (myo-inositol): 87‑89‑8 
EC number (for D‑chiro‑inositol): 211‑394‑0 
IUPAC name: myo-Inositol
Systematic IUPAC name: (1R,2S,3r,4R,5S,6s)-Cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol
Chemical formula: C6H12O6
Molar mass: 180.16 g/mol

SYNONYMS:
myo-Inositol, (1R,2S,3r,4R,5S,6s)-Cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol, cis-1,2,3,5-trans-4,6-Cyclohexanehexol, Cyclohexanehexol, Mouse antialopecia factor, Nucite, Phaseomannite, Phaseomannitol, Rat antispectacled eye factor, Scyllite (for the isomer scyllo-inositol), Vitamin B8, 1‑inositol, meso‑inositol, 1,2,3,5/4,6‑hexahydroxycyclohexane, i‑inositol, Inositol, L-myo-Inositol, Meat sugar, meso-Inositol, myo-inositol, inositol, myo-inositol, 6917-35-7, Myoinositol, mesoinositol, Inosite, Isoinositol, Insitolum, Inositol, i-, Inositol (VAN), 1D-myo-Inositol, 1L-myo-Inositol, Inositol, myo, CCRIS 6745, 1,2,3,5-trans-4,6-Cyclohexanehexol, cis-, inositols, Muscle sugar, NSC8101, AI3-16111, NSC-8101, EINECS 201-781-2, NSC-25142, NSC-55551, Inositol (NF), 1,2,3,4,5,6-HEXAHYDROXY-CYCLOHEXANE, Inositol [Nonspecific isomer], NSC-404118, DTXSID7023146, INOSITOL, MESO, Inositol [USAN:NF], INOSITOL [USAN], orthorhombic myo-inositol, INOSITOL [FCC], INOSITOL [INN], INOSITOL [MI], NSC55552, INOSITOL [VANDF], EINECS 230-024-9, NSC 25142, INOSITOL [MART.], INOSITOL [USP-RS], INOSITOL [WHO-DD], (1r,2R,3S,4s,5R,6S)-cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol, 4L6452S749, DTXCID2065254, CHEBI:24848, DTXSID30110000, MYO-INOSITOL [EP MONOGRAPH], (1R,2S,3r,4R,5S,6s)-cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol, cyclohexane-1R,2R,3S,4S,5R,6S-hexol, INOSITOL (MART.), INOSITOL (USP-RS), Inositol (Nonspecific isomer), MYO-INOSITOL (EP MONOGRAPH), Chiro Inositol, inositolum, iInositol, Inositol, i, INOSITOL [INCI], DTXCID7065257, cis1,2,3,5trans4,6Cyclohexanehexol, 1,2,3,5trans4,6Cyclohexanehexol, cis, 230-024-9, cdaismweouebre-uhfffaoysa-n, Scyllo-inositol, epi-Inositol, Muco-Inositol, Allo-inositol, i-Inositol, 87-89-8, meso-Inositol, Neo-inositol, 643-12-9, D-chiro-Inositol, 488-59-5, 1L-Chiro-inositol, D-(+)-chiro-Inositol, cis-Inositol, 1D-Chiro-inositol, 488-58-4, Cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexaol, cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol, Scyllitol, 551-72-4, Quercinitol, 41546-34-3, Cocositol, 643-10-7, Meat sugar, Myoinosite, Dambose, chiro-inositol, Inositene, Inositina, Phaseomannite, Inosital, Inositol, myo-, Iso-inositol, 488-55-1, L-chiro-Inositol, Cyclohexitol, Phaseomannitol, Mesoinosit, Mesoinosite, Scyllite, Mesovit, Nucite, Mesol, D-chiro Inositol, Cyclohexanehexol, Inositol, meso-, 488-54-0, cis-1,2,3,5-trans-4,6-Cyclohexanehexol, L-(-)-chiro-Inositol, D-myo-Inositol, 576-63-6, Bios I, Levoinositol, (-)-Inositol, d-Inositol, L-Inositol, L-myo-Inositol, Inositol, allo-, Inositol, muco-, Inositol, scyllo-, alloinositol, neoinositol, Hexahydroxycyclohexane, scyllo-Cyclohexanehexol, (1R,2R,3S,4S,5S,6S)-Cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexaol, Inositol, cis-, Inositol, epi-, Inositol, neo-, epi-Cyclohexanehexol, (+)-Inositol, 38876-99-2, (-)-chiro-Inositol, ELND005, Rat antispectacled eye factor, (+)-Chiro-Inositol, (1R,2R,3S,4R,5r,6S)-cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexaol, MFCD00077932, Matezodambose, AZD 103, Chiro-inositol, (-)-, (1r,2R,3S,4r,5R,6S)-cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol, 1,2,3,4,5,6-Cyclohexanehexol, MFCD00065455, (1r,2r,3r,4r,5r,6r)-cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol, (1R,2R,3R,4R,5S,6S)-cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol, 1-L-chiro-Inositol, Inositol, D-chiro-, CHEBI:17268, 1,3,5/2,4,6-cyclohexanehexol, 1,2,3,5/4,6-Cyclohexanehexol, NSC 8101, Chiro-inositol, (+)-, (1R,2R,3R,4R,5S,6S)-Cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexaol, (1R,2R,3R,4S,5S,6s)-cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexaol, (1R,2R,3S,4S,5S,6S)-cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol, NSC404118, myo-Inositol;meso-Inositol, 1,2,3,4,5,6-Hexahydroxycyclohexane, NSC 404118, J101.890F, J101.891D, (1s,2s,3s,4s,5s,6s)-cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol, 63GQX5QW03, 8LQ63P85IC, 9O6Y5O4P9W, ELND-005, R1Y9F3N15A, (1r,2R,3R,4s,5S,6S)-cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol, (1s,2R,3R,4s,5S,6S)-cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol, MI, CHEBI:10642, CHEBI:23927, CHEBI:27372, CHEBI:27987, AZD-103, 4661D3JP8D, 6R79WV4R10, M94176HJ2F, Inositol (VAN8C, NSC45517, NSC55551, NSC-55552, NSC-55558, 1VS4X81277, NSC-103959, NSC-127230, INS, NCGC00159409-02, (1R,2R,3S,4R,5S,6S)-cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol, rel-(1r,2r,3r,4r,5r,6r)-Cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexaol...

Inositol is a compound of sugar alcohols.
Inositol is involved in a series of biological processes such as insulin signal transduction and cytoskeletal transduction.
Inositol mainly exists in glial cells and plays an osmotic role.

Inositol is a sugar made in the body and found in foods.
Inositol can be found in nine forms.
Myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol are most common in supplements.

Inositol might balance certain chemicals in the body to help with mental conditions such as panic disorder, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Inositol might also help insulin work better.

An isomer of glucose that has traditionally been considered to be a B vitamin although it has an uncertain status as a vitamin and a deficiency syndrome has not been identified in man. 
Inositol phospholipids are important in signal transduction.

Scyllitol has been investigated for the treatment of Alzheimer Disease.
Inositol is a collection of nine different stereoisomers but the name is usually used to describe only the most common type of inositol, myo-inositol.

Myo-inositol is the cis-1,2,3,5-trans-4,6-cyclohexanehexol and it is prepared from an aqueous extract of corn kernels by precipitation and hydrolysis of crude phytate.
These molecules have structural similarities to glucose and are involved in cellular signaling.

It is considered a pseudovitamin as Inositol is a molecule that does not qualify to be an essential vitamin because even though its presence is vital in the body, a deficiency in this molecule does not translate into disease conditions.
Inositol can be found as an ingredient of OTC products by Health Canada but all current product whose main ingredient is inositol are discontinued.

By the FDA, inositol is considered in the list of specific substances affirmed as generally recognized as safe (GRAS).
D-chiro-Inositol is under investigation in clinical trial NCT03201601 (Evaluation of the Mixture Myoinositol:D-chiro-inositol 3.6:1 in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome).

Myoinositol is a metabolite found in or produced by Escherichia coli.
Inositol is a metabolite found in or produced by Escherichia coli.
Inositol has been reported in Camellia sinensis, Maclura pomifera, and other organisms with data available.

Scyllitol is a stereoisomer of inositol and a plant sugar alcohol found most abundantly in coconut palm trees, with potential amyloid plaque formation inhibitory activity.
Following oral administration, scyllitol crosses the blood brain barrier and inhibits amyloid beta plaque formation in the brain through as of yet unknown mechanism(s).

This may lead to reduced disease progression and improvement in cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer disease.
Inositol is a natural sugar found in cell membrane phospholipids, plasma lipoproteins, and (as the phosphate form) in the nucleus with potential chemopreventive properties.

As one of a number of intracellular phosphate compounds, inositol is involved in cell signaling and may stimulate tumor cell differentiation. (NCI04)
D-chiro-inositol is an inositol isomer, that may potentially be used to increase insulin sensitivity and improve reproductive function.

Upon oral administration, D-chiro-inositol may increase insulin sensitivity, improve glucose tolerance, and affect reproductive hormones and functions, and may modulate certain neurotransmitters.
Inositol is a small molecule drug with a maximum clinical trial phase of III (across all indications) and has 10 investigational indications.

Inositol (mainly myo‑inositol) is a water-soluble sugar alcohol with well-documented physical and chemical traits.
Inositol is a form of sugar your body naturally produces to provide structure to your cells.
Inositol can also be found in certain foods, including meat, fruits, corn, beans, grains and legumes.

The typical American diet contains 1 gram of inositol a day.
But research suggests that taking an inositol supplement may have many health benefits.
Inositol is frequently called vitamin B8, but it’s not really a vitamin.

However, research has shown it may provide many important functions.
In addition to playing a role in the development of your cell membranes, inositol may also have an effect on insulin and certain chemical messengers in your brain.
This may influence your body’s ability to manage metabolic and mental health conditions.

USES and APPLICATIONS of INOSITOL:
Inositol’s safe, biologically active, and widely used in supplements, cosmetics, and research applications.
Inositol supports metabolic health, reproductive function, mental wellness, and even eye health.
Dietary supplement & nutrition: Inositol is widely added to infant formula and OTC supplements for general health support.

Cosmetics: GRAS—Inositol is used as hair-conditioning and humectant agent.
Medical research: Inositol is investigated for roles in mood regulation, fertility (e.g., PCOS), insulin sensitivity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and even cataract prevention.

People use inositol for metabolic syndrome, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and for reducing the risk of preterm birth.
Inositol's also used for insomnia, bipolar disorder, PTSD, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support most of these uses.

Don't confuse inositol with inositol nicotinate or IP-6.
These are not the same.
Use as a cutting agent: Inositol has been used as an adulterant or cutting agent for many illegal drugs, such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and sometimes heroin, probably because of its solubility, powdery texture, or reduced sweetness (50%) compared to more common sugars.

Inositol is also used as a stand-in film prop for cocaine in filmmaking.
In biochemistry, medicine, and related sciences, inositol generally refers to myo-inositol (formerly meso-inositol), the most important stereoisomer of the chemical compound cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol.

Its formula is C6H12O6; the molecule has a ring of six carbon atoms, each with a hydrogen atom and a hydroxyl group (–OH).
In myo-inositol, two of the hydroxyls, neither adjacent nor opposite, lie above the respective hydrogens relative to the mean plane of the ring.
Inositol is a carbohydrate, specifically a sugar alcohol (as distinct from aldoses like glucose) with half the sweetness of sucrose (table sugar).

Inositol is one of the most ancient components of living beings with multiple functions in eukaryotes, including structural lipids and secondary messengers.
A human kidney makes about two grams per day from glucose, but other tissues synthesize Inositol too.

The highest concentration is in the brain, where Inositol plays an important role in making other neurotransmitters and some steroid hormones bind to their receptors.
In other tissues, Inositol mediates cell signal transduction in response to a variety of hormones, neurotransmitters, and growth factors and participates in osmoregulation.

In most mammalian cells the concentrations of myo-inositol are 5 to 500 times greater inside cells than outside them.
A 2023 meta-analysis found that inositol is a safe and effective treatment in the management of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
However, there is only evidence of very low quality for Inositol's efficacy in increasing fertility for IVF in women with PCOS.

The other naturally occurring stereoisomers of cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol are scyllo-, muco-, D-chiro-, L-chiro-, and neo-inositol, although they occur in minimal quantities compared to myo-inositol.
The other possible isomers are allo-, epi-, and cis-inositol.

-Explosives industry uses of Inositol:
At the 1936 meeting of the American Chemical Society, professor Edward Bartow of the University of Iowa presented a commercially viable means of extracting large amounts of inositol from the phytic acid naturally present in waste corn.

As a possible use for the chemical, he suggested 'inositol nitrate' as a more stable alternative to nitroglycerin.
Today, inositol nitrate is used to gelatinize nitrocellulose in many modern explosives and solid rocket propellants.

-Road salt uses of Inositol:
When plants are exposed to increasing concentrations of road salt, the plant cells become dysfunctional and undergo apoptosis, leading to inhibited growth.
Inositol pretreatment could reduce these effects.

-Research and clinical applications of Inositol:
Trichotillomania
High doses of inositol have been explored for treatment of trichotillomania (compulsive hair-pulling) and related disorders, but no definitive evidence points to its effectiveness.

OTHER ILLNESSES, INOSITOL:
D-chiro-inositol is an important messenger molecule in insulin signaling.
Inositol supplementation has been shown to significantly decrease triglycerides and LDL cholesterol in patients with metabolic diseases.

myo-Inositol is important for thyroid hormone synthesis.
Depletion of myo-inositol may predispose to development of hypothyroidism.
Patients with hypothyroidism have a higher demand for myo-inositol than healthy subjects.

Inositol should not be routinely implemented for the management of preterm babies who have or are at a risk of infant respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).
Myo-inositol helps prevent neural tube defects with particular efficacy in combination with folic acid.

Inositol is considered a safe and effective treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Inositol works by increasing insulin sensitivity, which helps to improve ovarian function and reduce hyperandrogenism.

Inositol is also shown to reduce the risk of metabolic disease in women with PCOS.
In addition, thanks to its role as FSH second messenger, myo-inositol is effective in restoring FSH/LH ratio and menstrual cycle regularization.
myo-Inositol's role as FSH second messenger leads to a correct ovarian follicle maturation and consequently to a higher oocyte quality.

Improving the oocyte quality in both women with or without PCOS, myo-inositol can be considered as a possible approach for increasing the chance of success in assisted reproductive technologies.
In contrast, D-chiro-inositol can impair oocyte quality in a dose-dependent manner.

The high level of DCI seems to be related to elevated insulin levels retrieved in about 70% of PCOS women.
In this regard, insulin stimulates the irreversible conversion of myo-inositol to D-chiro-inositol causing a drastic reduction of myo-inositol.
myo-Inositol depletion is particularly damaging to ovarian follicles because it is involved in FSH signaling, which is impaired due to myo-inositol depletion.

Recent evidence reports a faster improvement of the metabolic and hormonal parameters when these two isomers are administered in their physiological ratio.
The plasmatic ratio of myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol in healthy subjects is 40:1 of myo- and D-chiro-inositol respectively.

The use of the 40:1 ratio shows the same efficacy of myo-inositol alone but in a shorter time.
In addition, the physiological ratio does not impair oocyte quality.

The use of inositols in PCOS is gaining more importance, and an efficacy higher than 70% with a strong safety profile is reported.
On the other hand, about 30% of patients could show as inositol-resistant.

New evidence regarding PCOS aetiopathogenesis describes an alteration in the species and the quantity of each strain characterizing the normal gastrointestinal flora.
This alteration could lead to chronic, low-level inflammation and malabsorption.

A possible solution could be represented by the combination of myo-inositol and α-lactalbumin.
This combination shows a synergic effect in increasing myo-inositol absorption.

A recent study reported that the myo-inositol and α-lactalbumin combination increases myo-inositol plasmatic content in inositol-resistant patients with a relative improvement of hormonal and metabolic parameters.

USES & EFFECTIVENESS OF INOSITOL:
A grouping of symptoms that increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke (metabolic syndrome).
Taking inositol by mouth, with or without alpha-lipoic acid, seems to improve insulin resistance, cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure in people with metabolic syndrome.

A hormonal disorder that causes enlarged ovaries with cysts (polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS).
Taking inositol by mouth seems to lower triglyceride levels, decrease blood pressure, and improve blood sugar, ovulation, and pregnancy rates in people with PCOS.

Preterm birth.
Taking inositol with folic acid by mouth during pregnancy seems to lower the risk of preterm birth in those who have a higher chance of developing diabetes during pregnancy.

POSSIBLY INEFFECTIVE FOR INOSITOL:
A sudden and serious lung condition (acute respiratory distress syndrome or ARDS).
Giving myo-inositol by IV to premature babies with ARDS doesn't seem to help.
In fact, it might be harmful.
IV products can only be given by a healthcare provider.

Anxiety.
Taking inositol by mouth doesn't seem to improve symptoms of anxiety.

Depression.
Taking inositol by mouth doesn't improve symptoms of depression.

Nerve pain in people with diabetes (diabetic neuropathy).
Taking inositol by mouth doesn't seem to improve the symptoms of nerve pain caused by diabetes.

An eye disorder in premature infants that can lead to blindness (retinopathy of prematurity).
Giving myo-inositol by IV or by mouth to premature babies doesn't seem to lower the chance of developing retinopathy.
In fact, it might increase the risk of death.
IV products can only be given by a healthcare provider.

There is interest in using inositol for a number of other purposes, but there isn't enough reliable information to say whether it might be helpful.

Inositol is a collection of nine different stereoisomers but the name is usually used to describe only the most common type of inositol, myo-inositol.
Myo-inositol is the cis-1,2,3,5-trans-4,6-cyclohexanehexol and it is prepared from an aqueous extract of corn kernels by precipitation and hydrolysis of crude phytate.

These molecules have structural similarities to glucose and are involved in cellular signaling.
It is considered a pseudovitamin as Inositol is a molecule that does not qualify to be an essential vitamin because even though its presence is vital in the body, a deficiency in this molecule does not translate into disease conditions.

Inositol can be found as an ingredient of OTC products by Health Canada but all current product whose main ingredient is inositol are discontinued.
By the FDA, inositol is considered in the list of specific substances affirmed as generally recognized as safe (GRAS).

PRODUCTION OF INOSITOL:
As of 2021, the main industrial process for the production of myo-inositol (mostly in China and Japan) started with phytate (IP6) extracted from the soaking water resulting from corn and rice bran processing.
After purification, the phytate is hydrolized, and myo-inositol is separated by crystallization.

Another route is microbial fermentation of carbohydrates by various organisms, such as the fungus Neurospora crassa, Candida boidini, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Escherichia coli.

Alternatively, enzyme extracts from microbial cultures can be used in vitro to obtain myo-inositol from various substrates, including glucose, sucrose, starch, xylose, and amylose.

Inositol is a form of sugar found in your body, in some foods and as a supplement.
Your body needs inositol for the development and growth of cells.

But research suggests that inositol may have many potential health benefits.
People use Inositol for metabolic syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), among other health conditions.