Inositol Supplementation in Treatment of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Abstract

Inositol is a vitaminoid belongs to carbohydrate family. Biologically active form of inositol is Myo-inositol (MI) and less active form is another stereoisomer D-chiro inositol (DCI) synthesized by epimerisation of MI. MI is precursor of inositol triphosphate which is second messenger regulating the hormones like follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and insulin. Polycistic over syndrome (PCOS) is frequently seen in women in fertility age and associated with insulin resistance, hyperandrogenism and changes in ovulation. It’s thought that inositol can be effective in the treatment of PCOS due to its positive effects on insulin resistance. It has been determined that insulin sensitivity was improved in the people with PCOS after administration of MI and/or DCI, while oocyte quality was increased in people only MI administration. MI produces second messengers for FSH and glucose uptake, while DCI provides second messengers for glucose uptake and glycogene synthesis. It has been assessed that MI/DCI ratio should be 40:1 for the optimum dosage in PCOS treatment. In this review article, it was aimed to be investigated positive effects of inositol supplementation in PCOS treatment.