Pinitol
Pinitol is a cyclitol, a cyclic polyol. It is a known anti-diabetic agent isolated from Sutherlandia frutescens leaves. Gall plant tannins can be differentiated by their content of pinitol. It was first identified in the sugar pine. It is also found in other plants, such as in the pods of the carob tree.
Certain variants of the bacteria Pseudomonas putida have been used in organic synthesis, the first example being the oxidation of benzene, employed by Steven Ley in the synthesis of pinitol.Glycosides
is a pinitol digalactoside that can be isolated from seeds of chickpea, lentil and white lupin.
A cyclitol derivative can be found in the marine sponge Petrosia sp.
