sorbitol

American  

[sawr-bi-tawl, -tol] / ˈsɔr bɪˌtɔl, -ˌtɒl /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. a white, crystalline, sweet, water-soluble powder, C 6 H 8 (OH) 6 , occurring in cherries, plums, pears, seaweed, and many berries, obtained by the breakdown of dextrose and used as a sugar substitute for diabetics and in the manufacture of vitamin C, synthetic resins, candy, varnishes, etc.; sorbol.

---

sorbitol British  

/ ˈsɔːbɪˌtɒl /

noun

1. a white water-soluble crystalline alcohol with a sweet taste, found in certain fruits and berries and manufactured by the catalytic hydrogenation of sucrose: used as a sweetener ( E420 ) and in the manufacture of ascorbic acid and synthetic resins. Formula: C 6 H 8 (OH) 6

---

sorbitol Scientific  

/ sôr′bĭ-tôl′,-tōl′ /

1. A white, sweetish, crystalline alcohol found in various berries and fruits or prepared synthetically. It is used as a flavoring agent, a sugar substitute for people with diabetes, and a moisturizer in cosmetics and other products. Chemical formula: C ₆ H ₁₄ O ₆ .

---

Etymology

Origin of sorbitol

First recorded in 1890–95; sorb ¹ + -itol

Example Sentences

Because of this close relationship, sorbitol can trigger effects similar to those caused by fructose itself.

From Science Daily • Dec. 17, 2025

Patti explained that sorbitol can also be created naturally in the gut after a meal, even in people without diabetes.

From Science Daily • Dec. 17, 2025

One of the most unexpected results of the new study is that sorbitol is essentially "one transformation away from fructose," according to Patti.

From Science Daily • Dec. 17, 2025

Trouble begins when the amount of sorbitol exceeds what these microbes can handle.

From Science Daily • Dec. 17, 2025

It does not occur free in plants, but is the first oxidation product from the hexatomic alcohol, sorbitol, which is present in the juice of the berries of the mountain-ash.

From The Chemistry of Plant Life by Thatcher, Roscoe Wilfred