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A sugar alcohol formed by the complete hydroxylation of cyclohexane. The myo isomer is the only isomer with biological significance. Myoinositol is synthesized in a two-stage reaction from glucose 6-phosphate. Its hexaphosphate ester, phytic acid, is an important storage product in seeds; in germinating seeds and young seedlings it is thought that the phytic acid is converted to myoinositol. This then undergoes oxidation to form glucuronic acid; thus phytic acid acts as a source of uronic acids for synthesis of cell-wall components.
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