Xylitol
Xylitol is a chemical compound with the formula C5H12O5, or HO(CH2)(CHOH)3(CH2)OH; specifically, one particular stereoisomer with that structural formula. It is a colorless or white crystalline solid that is freely soluble in water. It can be classified as a polyalcohol and a sugar alcohol, specifically an alditol.
The name derives from Ancient Greek: ξύλον, xyl[on] ‘wood’, with the suffix -itol used to denote sugar alcohols.
Xylitol is used as a food additive and sugar substitute. Its European Union code number is E967.
- “Food legislation”. polyols-eu.org. European Association of Polyol Producers. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
Replacing sugar with xylitol in food products may promote better dental health, but evidence is lacking on whether xylitol itself prevents dental cavities.
- Riley, P.; Moore, D.; Ahmed, F.; Sharif, M.O.; Worthington, H.V. (26 March 2015). “Xylitol-containing products for preventing dental caries in children and adults”. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2015 (3): CD010743. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010743.pub2. PMC 9345289. PMID 25809586.
- Riley, P.; Moore, D.; Ahmed, F.; Sharif, M. O.; Worthington, H. V. (2015). “Can xylitol – used in products like sweets, candy, chewing gum, and toothpaste – help prevent tooth decay in children and adults?”. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Lay summary. 2015 (3): CD010743. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010743.pub2. PMC 9345289. PMID 25809586.
| IUPAC name meso-Xylitol |
| Preferred IUPAC name (2R,3R,4S)-Pentane-1,2,3,4,5-pentol |
| Other names (2R,3R,4S)-Pentane-1,2,3,4,5-pentaol (not recommended) 1,2,3,4,5-Pentahydroxypentane Xylite |
- Safety data sheet for xylitol Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine from Fisher Scientific. Retrieved 2014-11-02.
- “Xylitol”. Chemspider.com. Chemical Structure. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Xylitol.
| E numbers 950–969 |
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