Patent ID: 7674381

Claim:
A method for preparing highly pure L-iditol, comprising the successive steps of: catalytically hydrogenating L-sorbose, which results in a solution of D-sorbitol and of L-iditol; fermenting the resulting solution of D-sorbitol and of L-iditol by using a microorganism that produces dehydrogenases of the Acetobactor or Gluconbacter genus, able to convert D-sorbitol to L-sorbose, so as to obtain a syrup of a mixture of L-iditol and of L-sorbose; and subjecting the resulting syrup of a mixture of L-iditol and of L-sorbose to a chromatographic treatment resulting in at least two fractions being obtained, one of which is highly enriched in L-iditol (fraction X1) and the other of which is highly enriched in L-sorbose (fraction X2).