What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Sorbitol vs Sorbitan - What's the difference?

sorbitol | sorbitan |

As nouns the difference between sorbitol and sorbitan

is that sorbitol is a sugar alcohol (2R,3S,4S,5S)-hexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol used as an artificial sweetener while sorbitan is a dehydration product of sorbitol having a tetrahydrofuran ring and four hydroxy groups; it is used in the manufacture of emulsifiers.

sorbitol

English

Noun

(wikipedia sorbitol)
  • (organic chemistry) A sugar alcohol (2R,3S,4S,5S)-hexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol used as an artificial sweetener

    • Synonyms

    * when used as a sweetener

    sorbitan

    English

    Noun

  • (chemistry) a dehydration product of sorbitol having a tetrahydrofuran ring and four hydroxy groups; it is used in the manufacture of emulsifiers

    • See also

    * polysorbate ----