MANNITE (C, ILO„). Mushroom Sugar, Grenadin, Fra.risis. The juices of many 'dente contain a peculiar saccharine matter called mannite, which forms the principal constituent of the drug mesas— the nupiesated juice of the fraxinus Marmite is ale) found in celery, asparagus, onions, and several kinds of fungi. It is formed in large quantity in the process fur preparing lactic acid, and finally it occurs in boITIS descriptions of cider.
Marmite is most easily obtained in a state of purity by digesting manna in hot alcohol ; on cooling the filtered solution, the marmite is deposited in crystals which fuse at. 820', are very soluble in water and possess a sweet taste. Mannite may be distinguished from cane sugar by forming aulphomannitir a id (C,II,Q,, 3 b0,), without any ()barring when treated with sulphuric acid ; from grape sugar it is also distinguished by not becoming brown when heated with solutions of the alkalies,.
Mannite is cot sueeeptible of alcoholic, fermentation ; nitric acid convert. it into saccisario and (natio stick, whilst a mixture of sulphuric
and nitric: acids transforms it into nitromannite Fused with hydrate of potash it gives a mixture of formiate, acetate, and propionate of potash C„II.,0„ m t ;11 0, + 1I, Marmite. Formic acid. Acetic, acid. Propitiate acid.
heated with several of the acids inannite yields bodies resembling ethers, which under the Influence of alkalies regenerate the original acid and a body named mannitane The latter in contact with water gradually assimilates two atoms, and becomes reconverted into marmite.
Dulcose or Atkin (0„11„0,0 and Phycite (C,,H„0„) are saccharine substances Isomeric with mannite. Qnerrite is also closely allied with mannite, and like the latter is converted into a detonating compound, nitrapterrite, when treated with a mixture of nitric and sulphuric acids.