Denatonium

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Denatonium benzoate
Skeletal formulas of the denatonium cation...
...and the benzoate anion
Ball-and-stick models of the both ions in denatonium benzoate
Names
IUPAC name
phenylmethyl-[2- [(2,6-dimethylphenyl)amino]- 2-oxoethyl]-diethylammonium benzoate
Identifiers
3734-33-6 YesY
ChEMBL ChEMBL1371493 N
ChemSpider 18392 YesY
Jmol 3D model Interactive image
PubChem 19518
UNII M5BA6GAF1O YesY
  • InChI=1S/C21H28N2O.C7H6O2/c1-5-23(6-2,15-19-13-8-7-9-14-19)16-20(24)22-21-17(3)11-10-12-18(21)4;8-7(9)6-4-2-1-3-5-6/h7-14H,5-6,15-16H2,1-4H3;1-5H,(H,8,9) YesY
    Key: VWTINHYPRWEBQY-UHFFFAOYSA-N YesY
  • InChI=1/C21H28N2O.C7H6O2/c1-5-23(6-2,15-19-13-8-7-9-14-19)16-20(24)22-21-17(3)11-10-12-18(21)4;8-7(9)6-4-2-1-3-5-6/h7-14H,5-6,15-16H2,1-4H3;1-5H,(H,8,9)
    Key: VWTINHYPRWEBQY-UHFFFAOYAY
  • O=C(Nc1c(cccc1C)C)C[N+](Cc2ccccc2)(CC)CC.[O-]C(=O)c1ccccc1
Properties
C28H34N2O3
Molar mass 446.581
Appearance white crystalline
Melting point 163 to 170 °C (325 to 338 °F; 436 to 443 K)
Vapor pressure {{{value}}}
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
N verify (what is YesYN ?)
Infobox references

Denatonium, usually available as denatonium benzoate (under trade names such as BITTERANT-b, BITTER+PLUS, Bitrex or Aversion) and as denatonium saccharide (under trade names such as BITTERANT-s), is the most bitter chemical compound known, with bitterness thresholds of 0.05 ppm for the benzoate and 0.01 ppm for the saccharide.[1] It was discovered in 1958 during research on local anesthetics by MacFarlan Smith of Edinburgh, Scotland, and registered under the trademark Bitrex.[2] Dilutions of as little as 10 ppm are unbearably bitter to most humans. Denatonium salts are usually colorless and odorless solids but are often traded as solutions. They are used as aversive agents (bitterants) to prevent inappropriate ingestion. Denatonium is used in denatured alcohol,[3] antifreeze, nail biting preventions, respirator mask fit-testing, animal repellents, liquid soaps, and shampoos. It is not known to pose any long-term health risks.[4]

Structure and physical properties

Denatonium is a quaternary ammonium cation. It is a compound of a salt with an inert anion like benzoate or saccharide. The structure of denatonium is related to the local anesthetic lidocaine, differing only by the addition of a benzyl group to the amino nitrogen. Other similar compounds are procaine and benzocaine.[5]

Biochemistry

Denatonium in humans is recognized by eight distinct bitter taste receptors: TAS2R4, TAS2R8, TAS2R10, TAS2R39, TAS2R43, TAS2R16, TAS2R46, TAS2R47, with TAS2R47 being by far the most sensitive to the compound.[6][7]

Denatonium can act as a bronchodilator by activating bitter taste receptors in the airway smooth muscle.[8]

Applications

The bitterness of the compound guides most applications of denatonium. Denatonium benzoate is used to denature ethanol so that it is not treated as an alcoholic beverage with respect to taxation and sales restrictions. One designation in particular, SD-40B, indicates that ethanol has been denatured using denatonium benzoate. The common name for this chemical, denatonium, alludes to this application.

Denatonium is commonly included in placebo medications used in clinical trials to match the bitter taste of certain medications.

Denatonium also discourages consumption of harmful alcohols like methanol, and additives like ethylene glycol. Denatonium is used in rubbing alcohol as an inactive ingredient. It is also added to many kinds of harmful liquids including solvents (such as nail polish remover), paints, varnishes, toiletries and other personal care items, special nail polish for preventing nail biting, and various other household products. It is also added to less hazardous aerosol products (such as gas dusters) to discourage inhalant abuse of the volatile vapors.

In 1995, the U.S. state of Oregon required that denatonium benzoate be added to antifreeze and windshield washer fluid, preventing poisonings of children and animals by sweet-tasting ethylene glycol and methanol. As of December 2012, major marketers of antifreeze are adding a bittering agent such as denatonium benzoate to antifreeze in all 50 U.S. states.[citation needed]

Animals are known to have different sensitivities to the effects of denatonium. It is used in some animal repellents (especially for such large mammals as deer). It has been used to safeguard rat poisons from human consumption,[9] as humans are able to detect denatonium at much lower concentrations than rodents.[10] However, some cats have been known to be tempted by them[clarification needed] — it may not be as effective a deterrent for cats as it is for humans, or perhaps some cats are not deterred due to a genetic factor similar to that affecting human perceptions of the taste of phenylthiocarbamide.[citation needed]

See also

References

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  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Frank ME, Bouverat BP, MacKinnon BI, Hettinger TP. The distinctiveness of ionic and nonionic bitter stimuli. Physiol Behav. 2004 Jan;80(4):421-31. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2003.09.009
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