Inositol

Authors: Prof. Dr. med. Peter Altmeyer, Prof. Dr. med. Martina Bacharach-Buhles

All authors of this article

Last updated on: 29.10.2020

Dieser Artikel auf Deutsch

Synonym(s)

CAS number 87-89-8; Cyclohexanhexol; Inosite; Myo-inositol

Definition
This section has been translated automatically.

Inositol is the trivial name for a naturally occurring (in animals and plants), hexavalent cyclic alcohol with the molecular formula C6H12O6 (same molecular formula as glucose and fructose - but inositol is not a carbohydrate), which occurs in 9 different stereo-isomers, of which only myo-inositol is biologically active.

Occurrence
This section has been translated automatically.

Inositol is a white, crystalline, odourless solid with a sweetish taste. Inositol is not a vitamin (the substance was formerly classified as a B vitamin). The substance can be produced by the body itself from glucose and is therefore not essential. Myo-inositol is released in the muscle, in different types of muscle. In various organs, especially in the brain and liver, myo-inositol is present as 1-phophatidylinositol. Inositol occurs in almost all higher plants as a component of sphingolipids, an important building block of cell membranes. In fungi, bacteria and some higher plants the alcohol is mainly found as phytic acid (inositol hexaphosphoric acid).

Field of application/use
This section has been translated automatically.

Physiology: The 1D-myo-inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (simplified inositoltrisphosphate, IP3) and other phosphoinositols play an important role as secondary messengers for signal transduction in cells.

Nutrition: Inositol is mainly found in nuts, beans, wheat, wheat germ and oranges. It is mainly found in the form of phytates (salts/esters of phytic acid). Inositol is commercially available as a food supplement for humans.

Medical indications: The substance shows positive effects in diabetic metabolic disorders (Croze ML et al. (2013). The inositolisomers, myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol have been successfully used in polycystic ovarian syndrome (Dinicola S et al. 2014). The substance is suitable to enhance the effect of the phytoestrogen resveratrol (Parazzini F 2014).

In 7 RCTs concerning depressive disorders (bipolar disorders and premenstrual dysphoric disorders - PMDD) positive effects of inositol could be demonstrated (Mukai T et al. 2014).

Cosmetics: Inositol and 2 other inositol derivatives are used in cosmetic formulations:

Literature
This section has been translated automatically.

  1. Bevilacqua A et al (205) Results from the International Consensus Conference on myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol in Obstetrics and Gynecology--assisted reproduction technology. Gynecol Endocrinol 31:441-446.
  2. Croze ML et al (2013) Potential role and therapeutic interests of myo-inositolin metabolic diseases. Biochemistry 95:1811-1827.
  3. Dinicola S et al. (2014) The rationale of the myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol combined treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome. J Clin Pharmacol 54:1079-1092.
  4. Mukai T et al.(2014) A meta-analysis of inositol for depression and anxiety disorders Hum Psychopharmacol 29:55-63.
  5. Parazzini F (2014) Resveratrol, inositol, vitamin D and K in the prevention of cardiovascular and osteoporotic risk: a novel approach in peri- and postmenopause. Minerva Ginecol 66:513-518.
  6. Schneider S (2015) Inositol transport proteins. FEBS Lett 589:1049-1058.
  7. Unfer V et al (2014) Updates on the myo-inositol plus D-chiro-inositol combined therapy in polycystic ovary syndrome. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 7:623-631.

Incoming links (1)

Myo-inositol;