It is a carbocyclic polyols compound required for cell growth and survival that is incorporated into lung cell membranes and serves as a precursor for surfactant synthesis. It has many duties including helping to transmit nerve signals and preventing the buildup of fats in the liver and other organs.
The nine isomers of inositol are ubiquitous cyclic carbohydrates with a basic 6-carbon rung structure.
Three forms of inositol occur in nature: phytic acid, free myo-inositol, and inositol-containing phospholipid.
Inositol is synthesized easily by almost all higher vertebrates and has long been known as a vitamin in arthropods, including the crustaceans.
Inositol is manufactured naturally in the human body by the action of beneficial bacterial in the gut on the fiber in plants, and it is also found in healthy amounts in legumes and whole grains and in lecithin. Breast milk is a rich source of inositol as well as meats and dairy products.
It is the only ‘vitamin’ which has an energetic value.
B complex vitamin of Inositol
