Chocolate and Tea, what are you doing to me?

Figure 1: A lovely looking snack of tea and chocolate cake!

Nicubunu. (2012). Black tea and chocolate cake. [photograph]. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tea_for_two.jpg

Do you have a mild (or major) addiction to chocolate? Do you enjoy a cup of coffee, tea, or pop on a daily basis? Then you happen to be just like me! You also happen to be ingesting a chemical called theobromine, which belongs to the same family as caffeine, and has many of the same effects as caffeine, though it is about 10 times weaker¹. It has been known to decrease calmness², increase focus on study tasks², act as a cough suppressant¹, and even lower blood pressure²! Some people are even looking into its uses in treating tooth sensitivity³.

It would seem theobromine has many uses, but it isn’t often used in medicine because other chemicals with very similar structure are more potent and therefore more useful⁴. These include caffeine, which most people know about, and theophylline (even more potent than caffeine), which is a common asthma medication, has more of an affect as a bronchodilator to help people breathe⁴.

Theobromine is found in highest concentration in dark chocolate¹. It is what gives dark chocolate its bitter taste that some people dislike¹. It is also what is toxic to dogs and why dogs should not be allowed to consume chocolate⁵. A dose as low as 90mg/kg of bodyweight has been recorded as lethal⁵!

Humans, however, metabolize theobromine more effectively and as such would need about 0.8g to feel any effect, which may include sweating, trembling, or headache⁴. The average milk chocolate bar is 45g, and 1 gram of milk chocolate typically only has 1.5mg of theobromine⁵. This means you would have to eat almost 15 chocolate bars in a day to even start to feel an effect; that’s a lot of chocolate! So you and I are safe to continue eating chocolate without the worry of theobromine poisoning. Eat on chocolate lovers!

References List

¹ Theobromine. (2006). In N. Schlager, J. Weisblatt, & D. E. Newton (Eds.), Chemical Compounds (Vol. 3, pp. 843-846). Detroit: UXL. Retrieved from http://library.mtroyal.ca:2163/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX3441700205&v=2.1&u=mtroyalc&it=r&p=GVRL&asid=a1b02b16e4c5f35ffcbcde30daded55f

² Mitchell, E. S., Slettenaar, M., vd Meer, N., Transler, C., Jans, L., Quadt, F., & Berry, M. (2011). Differential contributions of theobromine and caffeine on mood, psychomotor performance and blood pressure. Physiology & Behavior, 104(5), 816-822. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.07.027

³ "Compositions containing theobromine and their use in treating tooth hypersensitivity" in patent application approval process. (2015). Medical Patent Business Week, (1552-5597), 2414.

⁴ National Center for Biotechnology Information. (n.d.) PubChem Compound Database; CID=5429, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/5429  (accessed Nov. 27, 2015).

⁵ Campbell, Alexander, and Chapman, Michael. (2008). Handbook of Poisoning in Dogs and Cats. Hoboken, NJ, USA: Wiley-Blackwell,  ProQuest ebrary. Web. 26 November 2015.

FDA says “no” to aspirin… Will you still use it?

Figure 1: Aspirin. From Aspirin by M. Perry, 2013, https://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisperry/8346000354/in/photolist-dHvr8Q-oEnpWV-mWPUg-gau7ip-qnEQXH-g1aTPt-dYHcqy-x2rue-6YXu6R-9dxqQE-6Qxjaz-aHrBs8-gQ2rdR-5a6hQC-dYcvqv-kzULKm-fDCH5K-6oqFc-5a6hqG-5R8s7Z-g7EG5G-g7EmMA-9mqWkR-iV96YE-6E4REU-jjhka-gFdGsP-7PEoDk-dYidgS-fYd7yU-ggTcmF-2mboMn-gc8Brz-dKawU2-fDVjHL-7BCmFu-oA8S5o-fz3GxD-g7Eewx-g7E6rV-bhhkya-pptbfK-5a1LF8-fAeLZ6-gMAc1A-iRcfrY-fAu7iw-nz2DDa-7DLioc-fLcaXf

In 2014, the FDA, Food and Drug Administration, issued a message to consumers stating that the evidence does not support the “general use of aspirin as a primary prevention for heart attacks and strokes.” This announcement came shortly after the FDA rejected Bayer’s request to put this information on their labels for aspirin (Neale, 2014). This news has caused individuals to question the safety and benefits of aspirin. The American Heart Association, U.S Preventive Service Task Force, and most cardiologists still recommend aspirin for primary prevention of heart attacks or strokes (Neale, 2014).

To me, this is strange, as aspirin has been around for a long time and doctors have used it for decades. Aspirin has been known for its four important uses: to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, reduce fever, and prevent the formation of blood clots (Schlager et al., 2006). When taking aspirin, it prevents cells called platelets from clumping together and blocking arteries which can cause blood clots and lead to heart attacks (Schlager et al., 2006).

But after saying that, it is important to be aware of the side effects from taking aspirin. When aspirin is taken in vast amounts and over a very short time period it could cause gastrointestinal bleeding (Mayo Clinic, 2015)., renal failure (National Kidney Foundation, 2009), platelet dysfunction (Kuter, 2014) and Reye’s syndrome (Schlager et al., 2006) in children.

It has been supported that aspirin is recommended for people who are at risk or who have had a heart attack or stroke. For those you do not fall into those categories and younger persons, aspirin can be used for its anti-inflammatory, pain reliever, and fever reducer properties.

References:

Kuter, D.J. (2014). Platelet Dysfunction. In Merck Manuals (September 2014 text rev.). Retrieved from http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/hematology-and-oncology/thrombocytopenia-and-platelet-dysfunction/acquired-platelet-dysfunction

Mayo Clinic. (2015). Heart Disease. Retrieved November 11, 2015, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/daily-aspirin-therapy/art-20046797?pg=2

National Kidney Foundation. (2009). Pain Medicines (Analgesics). Retrieved November 17, 2015, from https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/painMeds_Analgesics

Neale, T. (2014, May). Aspirin: FDA Says ‘No’ Others Say ‘Yes’. MedPage Today. Retrieved from http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/Prevention/45634

Perry, M. (Creator), (2013, January 4). Aspirin [Online image], Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisperry/8346000354/in/photolist-dHvr8Q-oEnpWV-mWPUg-gau7ip-qnEQXH-g1aTPt-dYHcqy-x2rue-6YXu6R-9dxqQE-6Qxjaz-aHrBs8-gQ2rdR-5a6hQC-dYcvqv-kzULKm-fDCH5K-6oqFc-5a6hqG-5R8s7Z-g7EG5G-g7EmMA-9mqWkR-iV96YE-6E4REU-jjhka-gFdGsP-7PEoDk-dYidgS-fYd7yU-ggTcmF-2mboMn-gc8Brz-dKawU2-fDVjHL-7BCmFu-oA8S5o-fz3GxD-g7Eewx-g7E6rV-bhhkya-pptbfK-5a1LF8-fAeLZ6-gMAc1A-iRcfrY-fAu7iw-nz2DDa-7DLioc-fLcaXf

Schlager, E. N., Weisblatt, J., & Newton, D. E. (2006). Acetylsalicylic Acid., Chemical Compounds (pp. 31-35). Detroit: UXL

Silly Putty, Breast Implants, and Chicken Nuggets Are More Similar Than You Think

Silly Putty, Breast Implants, and Chicken McNuggets Think

Polydimethylsiloxane (PMDS) - a versatile chemical compound

What do Silly Putty, breast implants, and McNuggets have in common? The answer is... POLYDIMETHYLSILOXANE (PMDS). This versatile compound is made of a series of repeating units consisting of silicon bound to two oxygens and two CH3's known as methyl groups (1). Doesn't that sound delicious?

PMDS is an ingredient found in the oil used to make McDonald's Chicken McNuggets.

(2) Source: Evan-Amos. A pile of McDonalds Chicken McNuggets, as bought in America. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_McNuggets#/media/File:McDonalds-Chicken-McNuggets.jpg (accessed November 22, 2015). Copyright 2011 by Evan-Amos. Reprinted with permission.

Aside from being found in McNuggets, polydimethylsiloxane is used for a variety of other purposes. In the medical world, you may find PMDS in not only breast implants, but also in soft contact lenses, and medical-grade wound dressing (3).

If you look at the back of your shampoo and conditioner, you may find that your hair is getting a dose of polydimethylsiloxane (4). But that isn't all, folks. PMDS is also an ingredient commonly found in industrial products such as caulking and in heat-resistant surface coatings (4). 

While we know where we can find polydimethylsiloxane, what is it about this compound that makes it so useful?

First off, PDMS is a BIG compound. It has a molecular weight of 6,800 to 30,000 Daltons (1). The cell membranes of body cells are only able to let small molecules pass through. As PDMS is a large molecule, it isn't able to pass through the cell membrane, accounting for its lack of toxicity (3). While its name may sound frightening, PMDS is not known to be a toxic compound. PMDS is not known to accumulate in human body tissues or cause any sort of negative cancer-causing or reproductive effects (3,5).

PDMS also has low water solubility (6). This property is particularly useful in PDMS's use in food. Polydimethylsiloxane is used in food products, or in the oil used to cook food products, to prevent foaming and caking, or the creation of clumps (5).

Regardless of how hard you look, you won't find PDMS in nature. PDMS is made using a series of industrial chemical steps (6).

Although PDMS isn't toxic and has a variety of uses, there is some controversy surrounding the compound. The notion of polydimethylsiloxane being a synthetic compound in food may frighten some people. However, at temperatures greater than 150 degrees Celsius, the compound is thought to break down into a toxic compound known as formaldehyde (4).

So what are some alternatives to PDMS, you may ask? Considering PDMS is used primarily as an anti-foaming agent, oil-based anti-foaming agents such as mineral and vegetable oil could be used (5). In addition, quillaia, which is the aqueous extract of the bark of the Quillaja saponaria Molina plant, is another anti-foaming agent alternative (5). 

With all of this in mind, you can feel a little bit more educated, and a little less guilty next time you order a ten pack of chicken McNuggets - or should I say, a ten pack of polydimethylsiloxane.

References

1. Polydimethylsiloxane. http://www.fao.org/ag/agn/jecfa-additives/specs/ Monograph1/Additive-315.pdf (accessed November 12, 2015).
2. Evan-Amos. A pile of McDonalds Chicken McNuggets, as bought in America. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_McNuggets#/media/File:McDonalds-Chicken-McNuggets.jpg (accessed November 22, 2015). Copyright 2011 by Evan-Amos. Reprinted with permission.
3. Polydimethylsiloxanes. http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/a?dbs+hsdb:@term+@DOCNO+6775 (accessed November 16, 2015).
4. Roberts, Jeff. Domino’s, McDonald’s, & Wendy’s Are All Feeding You a Chemical Used In Silly Putty. http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/01/26/dominos-mcdonalds-wendys-are-all-feeding-you-a-chemical-used-in-silly-putty/ (accessed November 16, 2015).
5. Msagati, T. A. M. The Chemistry of Food Additives and Preservatives [Online]; Wiley-Blackwell: Ames,Iowa, 2012; p 169-171.
6. Stevens, C., Powell, D.E., Makela, P., & Karman, C. Fate and effects of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) in marine environments. Marine Pollution Bulletin [Online]. 2001, 42, 536-543. https://www.dowcorning.com/content/publishedlit/26-1117-01.pdf (accessed November 12, 2015).

Glucose Jinfen Xian

Glucose

Figure 1. The structure of glucose (5).

Glucose, the energy storage in animals and plants, is the basic chemical in people's life, and no one can live without it. Glucose is a white powder or colorless solid (5). It is also called dextrose, grape sugar, corn sugar, or blood sugar (5). Glucose can be found in cellulose in plants (5). Plants can synthesis glucose by processing photosynthesis (5). Commercial glucose is produced by steam hydrolysis from starch and cellulose (5). People use glucose to bake bread, make sugars, fermentate beer and ciders, synthesis amino acid, and make glucose injection and insulin (5).

There is no lethal dose for human, but the lethal dose for rat is 25800 mg/kg, and it also affects rat's reproductivity (3). However, there are some health concerns for human, and it may cause irritation, burning, vomiting and abdominal pain by ingestion. It may cause coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath by inhalation (3). Also, glucose injection may cause clump of red blood cells, edema of eyelids, protrusion of eyes, necrosis of soft tissues, and hemolysis etc (4).

There are some alternatives for glucose, such as artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners have the sweet favor but no Calories (2). There are five legal artificial sweeteners in the USA now, and they are Acesulfame-K, Alitame, Aspartame, Neotame, and Saccharin (1). Also, there is another sweet protein can be an alternative of glucose. The sweet protein, miraculin, comes from a red berry in the South Africa (6). This protein have a high yield production in transgenic tomatoes (6).

There are a lot of controversies on using glucose injection in medical field. Many experts state that glucose injection may cause a lot of health problems, and this injection should not be used in people (4).   

   

1. Artificial sweeteners. In The deluxe food lover's companion. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's Educational   

    Series. 2009. http://library.mtroyal.ca:4065/content/entry/barronflc/artificial_sweeteners/0 (accessed Nov     5, 2015).

2. David, L. Nelson; Michael, M. Cox. Principles of Biochemistry, 6th ed.; W.H. Freeman: New York,     

    2013; pp 246-255.

3. Glucose; MSDS No. M00664 [Online]; HACH CO: Missouri, September 23, 2005.

4. U. S. National Library of Medicine. Substance Name: Glucose, n.d. TOXNET. Resources: 

    http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search2/r?dbs+hsdb:@term+@rn+50-99-7 (accessed Nov 5, 

    2015).
5. Schlager, N., Weisblatt, J., & Newton, D. E. Chemical Compounds [Online]; Gale: Detroit, USA., 2006;     pp 343-347.
6. Sun, H., Kataoka, H., Yano, M., & Ezura, H. Genetically stable expression of functional miraculin, a new     type of alternative sweetener, in transgenic tomato plants. Plant Biotechnology Journal. [Online] 2007, 5,       768-777. http://library.mtroyal.ca:2208/doi/10.1111/j.1467-7652.2007.00283.x/full (asscessed Nov 5,
    2015).

What do Deodorant, Laundry Detergent and Bloating Have in Common?

Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5)!!!!!

D5 is a non-irritating solvent used in personal care products that has the useful property of being slippery but non-greasy.¹ Only one percent of D5 applied to skin gets absorbed due to its lipophilic properties while the rest evaporates.² Don’t worry too much about air quality; hydroxyl radicals break down D5 in the atmosphere so it doesn’t deposit onto the ground.² No one knows what happens to D5 in water but since only a small amount ends up in waste water no one cares.² D5 does not occur naturally so if you want to you can avoid D5 by using products with diethyhexyl carbonate instead.^2;3

Figure 1. Suds.⁴

In laundry detergent D5 is used as a defoamer, it reduces bubbles.⁵ You’ve all heard of laundry detergents for high efficiency washers that have smart suds. The suds break down faster leading to a faster wash. D5 is what breaks down the suds.⁵ The surface tension of the soap bubble is decreased which pops the bubble, leading to a less foamy soap.⁶ The suds aren’t very smart it’s the chemists working at the soap factory.

If you are bloated due to gas D5 is to the rescue. D5 is used as an active ingredient in antiflatulent drugs.⁶ Gas bubbles have the same fate as soap bubbles resulting in the breakup of gas and a decrease in bloating.⁶

If you are thinking that D5 is toxic because it is man-made don’t; a 75kg person would have to ingest almost 2kg to be harmed.⁷ That is a lot of deodorant sticks.

References

¹Dow Corning. GPS Safety Report: Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5). http://www.dowcorning.co.kr/ko_KR/content/about/aboutehs/EHSPortalFiles/GPS_Safety_Report_541-02-6_D5.pdf (accessed Nov 2, 2015).

²Government of Canada. Proposed risk management approach for Cyclopentasiloxane, decamethyl- (D5), 2009. Environment Canada. https://www.ec.gc.ca/ese-ees/default.asp?lang=En&n=87912FFF-1 (accessed Nov 2, 2015).

³Lassen, C.; Hansen, C. L.; Mikkelsen, S. H.; Maag, J.  Siloxanes - Consumption, Toxicity and Alternatives. http://www.miljoestyrelsen.dk/udgiv/publications/2005/87-7614-756-8/pdf/87-7614-757-6.pdf (accessed Nov 2, 2015).

⁴Source: Skaken, N. Suds. Digital image.

⁵U.S. National Library of Medicine. HSDB: Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, 2006. TOXNET. http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search2/r?dbs+hsdb:@term+@rn+541-02-6 (accessed Nov 2, 2015).

⁶Toedt, J.; Koza, D.; Van Cleef-Toedt, K. Chemical Composition of Everyday Products [ONLINE]; Greenwood Press: Westport, CT, 2005; pp. 77-78. http://docslide.us/documents/chemical-composition-of-everyday-products-558454e3c2144.html (accessed Nov 2, 2015).

⁷ U.S. National Library of Medicine. Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, N.D. ChemIDplus. http://chem.sis.nlm.nih.gov/chemidplus/rn/541-02-6 (accessed Nov 2, 2015).

The Safe Side of Looking Good

          In a world where so many of the cosmetics on our bodies might actually be slowly killing us, there is one cosmetic ingredient that does what it needs to without harming us or the environment.

This extremely safe chemical is trimethylsiloxysilicate.

How do we know it is safe?

We know it is safe because the Cosmetic Review Board tested the chemical first on animals then on humans and found it to be extremely safe and non-irritating.¹

First they tested it on the skin of New Zealand White Rabbits.

Figure 1. New Zealand White Rabbit.²

            They put 0.5 g of pure trimethylsiloxysilicate on the rabbit’s skin and covered it for four hours. The test resulted in weight gain and all the rabbits survived… until the autopsy that showed there were no signs of toxicity.¹

            In another test they shaved the rabbit’s skin and applied 2 g/kg of body weight on a patch of skin.¹ 24 hours later the patch was removed and cleaned with corn oil and then observed again.¹ The results mirrored the first test.¹

From there they did oral testing where they force feed Sprague-Dawley Rats 5g/kg.¹ This resulted in weight gain and survival with no signs of toxicology at autopsy.¹

            Since it is found in eye make-up it had to be tested on eyes, Rabbit eyes. An ocular test was done. During the test 0.1 ml of pure trimethylsiloxysilicate was administered to the right eye and examined at time 0,1,24, and 72 hours without any signs of irritation during that period.¹

            Finally 5% trimethylsiloxysilicate was tested on humans in the form of eyeshadow and eyeliner that was applied daily for twenty-eight days with no irritation.¹

All test on the product showed that it was extremely safe for everyday human use. 

It is put in cosmetics because it helps add volume, resist humidity, and can help fixate hair.³ The film that it forms increases water resistance in hair fixatives, sunscreens and pigments.³ It also makes cosmetics longer lasting, and smudge resistant.³ It acts as an antifoaming agent, skin conditioner, anti-caking agent, and a binder.¹

So if you see trimethylsiloxysilicate in your cosmetics you can be sure that is doing what it needs to while being completely harmless and controversy free.

References

¹Becker, L. C.; Bergfeld, W. F.; Belsito, D. V.; Hill, R. A.; Klaassen, C. D.; Liebler, D. C.; Marks, J. G.; Shank, R. C.; Slaga, T. J.; Snyder, P. W.; Andersen, F. A. Safety Assessment of Silylates and Surface-Modified Siloxysilicates. Int. J. Tox. [Online] 2013, 32, 5S-23S. Academic Search Complete, SAGE Journals (accessed Oct 31, 2015).

²Source: Bulla, G. New Zealand White Rabbit. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: NewZealandWhiteRabbit.jpg (Accessed Nov 4, 2015). Copyright 1990 by Bulla, G. Reprinted with permission.

³Goddard, P. E. D.; Gruber, P. J. V. Principles of Polymer Science and Technology in Cosmetics and Personal Care [Online]; CRC Press: New York, NY, 1999; p 309. http://library.mtroyal.ca:2052/lib/mtroyal/reader.action?docID=10051300 (accessed Oct 31, 2015).