Aridol

Aridol

Mannitol is a white, crystalline solid with the chemical formula (C₆H₈(OH)₆). It is mainly used to produce tablets of medicine. It was originally isolated from the secretions of the flowering ash and called manna after its resemblance to the Biblical food. It is also referred to as mannite and manna sugar. In plants, it is used to induce osmotic stress. Its fetal safety is "C" in Briggs' Reference Guide to Fetal and Neonatal Risk.

It is classified as a sugar alcohol; that is, it is derived from a sugar (mannose) by reduction. Other sugar alcohols include xylitol and sorbitol. Mannitol and sorbitol are isomers, the only difference being the orientation of the hydroxyl group on carbon 2.