Medicinal Uses of Mannitol

Source and Properties of Mannitol:

Mannitol is a hexahydric alcohol obtained by isolation from manna or sea weeds. It is also obtained from mannose by reducing chemically. It is also known as manna sugar or D-mannitol. It is a white, crystalline, non hygroscopic powder with sweet taste and without odour. It is freely soluble in water. The crystals are orthorhombic prisms. They are optically inactive but slightly laevorotatory.

English: Output of PubChem’s program PC3D for D-Mannitol as linked from PubChem. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Uses of Mannitol:

• Used as an excipient for tablets
• Diluent for liquids
• Used as stabiliser, thickener and nutritive sweetener
• Used as texturizing agent
• Nutrient
• Diagnostic agent
• It is not given orally as it does not get absorbed from the gastro-intestinal tract
• If it is given in the form of injection, it is not metabolised and is eliminated by glomerular filtration, hence used as a diagnostic aid
• Used as an osmotic diuretic