Inositol, also known as cyclohexanol, hexahydroxycyclohexane, cyclohexanol, carnosine, and inositol, is one of the B vitamins. There are 9 heterogeneous groups due to the orientation of the hydroxyl group relative to the plane of the ring. Among them, 7 are non-rotating bodies and 2 are optically active (left-handed and right-handed). It exists in all biological tissues in free or combined form in nature. It is a common component in animal and plant cells. It can be synthesized by digestive tract microorganisms and participates in the metabolism of sugars and lipids in the body. The animal mainly exists in the form of phosphatidylinositol, which is the most abundant in the brain, myocardium and skeletal muscle. The plant mainly exists in the form of phosphoinositide, and can combine with calcium, zinc and iron to form insoluble compounds, which interfere with its digestion and absorption. . When the animal diet lacks inositol, hair loss occurs and affects development. Inositol is involved in intracellular calcium metabolism. Its triphosphate derivative can be released from the lipid conjugate after stimulation of the cell, and acts as a second messenger. It can mobilize intracellular calcium ions and regulate many cellular activities, such as Secretion, metabolism, light transmission and cell division.
Clinical use of inositol combined with multivitamin B can prevent or reduce excessive fat deposition in the liver, promote intrahepatic fat metabolism, reduce blood lipids, and eliminate liver cell fat infiltration. It can be used to treat fatty liver, alcoholic liver, atherosclerosis, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, alopecia, hyperlipidemia, etc. Its derivatives, such as phosphatidylinositol, are one of the constituents of cell membranes, and phytic acid (phytic acid) or calcium magnesium phytate (phenidene) is often accumulated in the seeds of higher plants. The phytic acid extracted from rice bran or bran can be used as an antioxidant, stabilizer and preservative for foods.
Since most animals and their digestive tract microorganisms can synthesize enough inositol and are rich in food, inositol deficiency is rare. Many fish and female gerbils cannot synthesize inositol (the testis tissue of male gerbils can synthesize inositol). The addition of phthalyl sulfonamide to the feed can inhibit the synthesis of inositol by intestinal bacteria, causing deficiency in rats, which is manifested as: reduction of free inositol in rat testis, liver, heart, kidney and plasma; hair removal, dermatitis; Triglycerides and cholesterol esters in the liver are elevated, and the size and number of hepatic lipid droplets are significantly increased. Fatty liver is present and can be cured with inositol. The transport capacity of intestinal mucosal cells to saturated fat is decreased, and intestinal mucosal fat accumulation occurs. In the absence of fish, fin degeneration, edema, anemia, decreased gastric emptying rate, decreased cholinesterase and some transaminase activities.
Inositol belongs to B vitamins
