Polyhydric alcohols dulcitol

Reaction LXVIH. Simultaneous Reduction and Halogenation of Poly-hydric Alcohols. (A., 138, 364.)—When polyhydric alcohols are heated with hydriodic acid, reduction of all the hydroxyl groups save one occurs this latter is replaced by iodine to form a secondary iodide. In this way, e.g., dulcitol, or any of the hexose alcohols, yields normal secondary hexyl iodide this is of importance in determining the chain structure of the sugars. This reaction probably occurs—... 

Simple sugars can be reduced to polyhydric alcohols for example, glucose yields sorbitol, galactose yields dulcitol, and both mannose and fructose yield mannitol. Mannitol occurs in grass silage and is formed by the action of certain anaerobic bacteria on the fructose present in the grass. ... 

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