Inositol or
cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol is a
chemical compound with formula C
6H
12O
6 or (-CHOH-)
6, a six-fold
alcohol (
polyol) of
cyclohexane. It exists in nine possible
stereoisomers, of which the most prominent form, widely occurring in nature, is
cis-1,2,3,5-trans-4,6-cyclohexanehexol, or
myo-inositol (former names
meso-inositol or i-inositol). Inositol is a sugar alcohol. Its taste has been
assayed at half the sweetness of table sugar (
sucrose).