Scyllo-Inositol health benefit by Ray Sahelian, M.D.
February 19 2016

Inositol levels measured in postmortem brain of unipolar, bipolar and schizophrenic patients, suicide victims and normal controls showed no difference in scyllo-inositol levels in frontal or occipital cortex between any of the groups.

Scyllo-Inositol and Alcoholism

Chronic alcoholism is associated with a hitherto unrecognized accumulation of brain scyllo-inositol. Results suggest that scyllo-inositol is produced within the central nervous system and shows a diffuse but heterogenous distribution in brain where it can persist several weeks after detoxification. Its highest levels are observed in subjects with a clinically symptomatic alcohol-related encephalopathy. When detected, brain scyllo-inositol takes part in a metabolic encephalopathy since it is associated with reduced N-acetylaspartate and increased creatine. High levels of cerebral scyllo-inositol are correlated with altered glial and neuronal metabolism. The accumulation of scyllo-inositol may precede and take part in the development of symptomatic alcoholic metabolic encephalopathy.

Scyllo-inositol in normal aging human brain: 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy study at 4 Tesla.
NMR Biomed. 2005. Department of Radiology, University of California-San Francisco, MR Unit VA Medical Center at San Francisco, San Francisco, California
The scyllo-inositol and myo-inositol concentrations of 24 normal human subjects were measured in vivo using 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Test-retest studies performed on 10 normal subjects demonstrated coefficient of variation for scyllo-inositol measurement of 37%, compared with 6% for N-acetyl aspartate. Comparisons between old and young subjects showed higher concentration of scyllo-inositol and myo-inositol in older subjects and a trend for a correlation between scyllo-inositol and myo-inositol levels across subjects.

Scyllo-inositol and Alzheimer's disease
Synthesis of scyllo-inositol derivatives and their effects on amyloid beta peptide aggregation.
Bioorg Med Chem. 2008. Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ont., Canada M5S 3H6.
scyllo-Inositol has shown promise as a potential therapeutic for Alzheimer's disease, by directly interacting with the amyloid beta (Abeta) peptide to inhibit Abeta42 fiber formation. A series of scyllo-inositol derivatives have been synthesized which contain deoxy, fluoro, chloro, and methoxy substitutions. The effects of these compounds on the aggregation cascade of Abeta42 revealed that the 1-deoxy-1-fluoro- and 1,4-dimethyl-scyllo-inositols significantly inhibit the formation of Abeta42 fibers. The other derivatives showed some alterations in the morphology of the Abeta42 fibers produced. These findings indicate the importance of all of the hydroxyl groups of scyllo-inositol for complete inhibition of Abeta aggregation.

Adv Pharmacol. 2012. scyllo-Inositol, preclinical, and clinical data for Alzheimer's disease. Preclinical development of scyllo-inositol for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been investigated in both in vitro and in vivo models with positive results. scyllo-Inositol stabilized a small conformer of Aβ42 in vitro, neutralized cell derived Aβ trimers and promoted low molecular weight Aβ species in vivo. These interactions resulted in decreased neuronal toxicity, increased long-term potentiation (LTP) and ablation of cognitive deficits in multiple mouse models of AD. scyllo-Inositol bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, and small animal toxicology studies demonstrated the potential for translation to human patients.

Parkinson's disease
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2016. α-Synuclein aggregation, seeding and inhibition by scyllo-inositol. Recent literature demonstrates the accelerated aggregation of α-synuclein, a protein implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD), by the presence of preformed fibrillar conformers in vitro. Furthermore, these preformed fibrillar seeds are suggested to accelerate pathological induction in vivo when injected into the brains of mice. Scyllo-inositol inhibits the aggregation of α-synuclein, suggesting the therapeutic potential of the small molecule in Parkinson's disease.

Scyllo-inositol - Scyllitol questions

Q. I read an article (press release of June, 2006) that researchers found that a diet supplemented with scyllo-inositol (scyllitol, cocositol, quercinitol) restored the mental abilities of mice genetically engineered to get Alzheimer's disease. In fact, they said that autopsies revealed that the amyloid beta plaques had been dissolved. Granted, this research was done on mice. But I figured that since this was a naturally occurring plant sugar, found in such plants as the coconut palm and white oak, it would be worth a try. I've been looking for a company producing a scyllitol supplement. I haven't been able to find one, or a process for concentrating scyllitol from plant sources. Of course the question is, where can I find this stuff?
   A. We have little knowledge or experience with this substance.