Dioxyacetone

Dioxyacetone, CH₂.OH-CO-CH₂.OH, an isomer of glyceraldehyde. Crystals with a sweet, cooling taste. D. is formed from glycerol under the influence of certain bacteria. It is obtained along with glyceraldehyde upon oxidation of glycerol. Easily soluble in water, it reduces Fehling's solution and red blood salt even on cold. The latter property forms the basis of the micromethod for determining D. (Silberstein and Rappaport). It is fermented by yeast, although slowly. When passed through an isolated liver, D. is easily converted into glycogen. It is possible that D. is formed as one of the intermediate products in the breakdown of sugar in the body (see Glycolysis). Recently, D., which is essentially a low-molecular-weight carbohydrate, a ketotriose, has found fairly widespread application in diabetes as a sugar substitute. When taken orally, it is well absorbed not only by a normal organism but also by a diabetic. At the same time, D. causes only a very small and transient increase in blood sugar content; in severe diabetics, it even causes a fairly significant (20-75%) decrease in blood sugar levels. Simultaneously, acidosis decreases, and the amount of reserve alkali in the blood increases. The German chemical firm J. G. D. has put D. on sale under the name "oxanthin."