ə̇ˈnōsəˌtȯl, īˈ-, -ˌtōl noun
( -s )
Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary inosite inositol (from Greek inos + International Scientific Vocabulary -ite ) + -ol
: any of nine crystalline stereoisomeric cyclic hexahydroxy alcohols C 6 H 6 (OH) 6 ; cyclohexane-hexol: as
a. : an optically inactive alcohol that is a component of the vitamin B complex and a lipotropic agent, that occurs widely in plants usually combined in the form of phytic acid, in microorganisms, and in higher animals and man especially in vital organs and tissues (as the heart and brain) and often combined in the form of phosphatides, that is obtained chiefly from corn steepwater, and that is used in medicine — called also i-inositol, meso-inositol, myoinositol
b. : a sweet dextrorotatory alcohol occurring especially in the form of its methyl ether pinitol — called also dextro-inositol
c. : a sweet levorotatory alcohol occurring especially in the form of its methyl ether quebrachitol — called also levo-inositol
d. : scyllitol