Mannitol (MNT)

Mannitol is a white, crystalline solid[2] with the chemical formula C6H8(OH)6. It was originally isolated from the secretions of the flowering ash and called manna after its resemblance to the Biblical food. In plants, it is used to induce osmotic stress. It has several industrial uses, but is mainly used to produce tablets of medicine. Mannitol is one of the most abundant energy and carbon storage molecules in nature, produced by a plethora of organisms, including bacteria, yeasts, fungi, algae, lichens, and many plants. Fermentation by microorganisms is an alternative to the traditional industrial synthesis. A fructose to mannitol metabolic pathway, known as the mannitol cycle in fungi, has been discovered in a type of red algae (Caloglossa leprieurii), and it is highly possible that other microorganisms employ similar such pathways.