Sugar Alcohols, Caries Incidence, and Remineralization of Caries Lesions: A Literature Review

Table 3

Physicochemical properties of alditols at 25^∘𝐶.

Alditol	Molecular weight	Maxium van der Waals radius (Å)^(a)	Partial molar volume(cm^3mol^−1)^(b)	Permeability(ms^−1)^(c)	“Water activity” constant 𝐾^(d)
Glycerol	92.1	2.8	70.84	1.49 ±0.40 × 10^-10	1.16
Erythritol	122.1	3.1–3.2	86.83	4.92 ±0.27 × 10^-10	1.34
Xylitol	152.1	3.2–3.3	102.12	9.9 ±3.4 × 10^-11	1.66
D-Arabitol	152.1	3.2			1.41
L-Arabitol	152.1	3.2			1.21
Ribitol	152.1	3.2	100.6		1.49
D-Glucitol	182.2	3.4	118.8		1.65
D-Mannitol	182.2	3.4	119.22	7.6 ±4.8 × 10^-11	0.906

^(a)The values for glycerol, erythritol, xylitol and D-mannitol are from Kiyosawa [93]. Other values represent estimates of the present author.
^(b)At infinite dilution at 25°C [94]. Values for ribitol and sorbitol are from Back et al. [95].
^(c)Using the giant alga Chara cell membrane [96].
^(d)The values of K are those of a correlating constant from the equation 𝑎_𝑤 = 𝑥₁ exp(−𝐾𝑥²₂), where 𝑥₁ and 𝑥₂ are molar fractions of water and solute, respectively, and 𝑎_𝑤 is water activity [97].