Arabitol, or arabinitol, is a
sugar alcohol
Sugar alcohols (also called polyhydric alcohols, polyalcohols, alditols or glycitols) are organic compounds, typically derived from sugars, containing one hydroxyl group attached to each carbon atom. They are white, water-soluble solids that c ...
. It can be formed by the reduction of either
arabinose or
lyxose. Some
organic acid
An organic acid is an organic compound with acidic properties. The most common organic acids are the carboxylic acids, whose acidity is associated with their carboxyl group –COOH. Sulfonic acids, containing the group –SO2OH, are re ...
tests check for the presence of
D-arabitol, which may indicate overgrowth of
intestinal microbes such as ''
Candida albicans'' or other
yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom (biology), kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are est ...
/
fungus
A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...
species.
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
Sugar alcohols
{{alcohol-stub