Prepared by demethylation of Pinitol. Shown to be antidiabetic in animals, and a component of human inositol phosphoglycans implicated in insulin signalling.

References:

Huang, L.C. and Larner, J. Inositol Phosphoglycan Mediators of Insulin Action. The Special Role of Chiroinositol in Insulin Release. Adv.Prot.Phosphatases 7:373-392, 1993; Fonteles, M.C., Huang, L.C., and Larner, J. Infusion of pH 2.0 D-chiro-inositol glycan insulin putative mediator normalizes plasma glucose in streptozotocin diabetic rats at a dose equivalent to insulin without inducing hypoglycaemia. Diabetologia 39:731-734, 1996