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Denatonium Benzoate is the benzoate salt of quaternary ammonium cation denatonium. It is the most bitter chemical compound known, with a bitterness threshold of 0.05 ppm. The name denatonium reflects the substance’s primary use as a denaturant and its chemical nature as a cation, hence the Latin suffix -onium. It is available under trade names such as Denatrol, BITTERANT-b, BITTER+PLUS, Bitrex, and Aversion. Denatonium salts are usually colourless and odourless solids but are often traded as solutions.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS | |
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Name of Product | Denatonium Benzoate (Anhydrous) |
IUPAC Name | benzyl-[2-(2,6-dimethylanilino)-2-oxoethyl]-diethylazanium;benzoate |
Synonyms | DENATONIUM BENZOAT, Bitrex, Lidocaine benzyl benzoate |
CAS No | 3734-33-6 |
Molecular Formula | C28H34N2O3 |
Molecular Weight | 446.6 g/mol |
Pubchem CID | 19518 |
Pubchem SID | 463577164 |
SR. No | Criteria | Limit/Specification |
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1 | Appearance | White free flowing powder |
2 | Assay (by Titrimetry (NAT)) | Not less than 99.50 % w/w and not more than 101.0 % w/w |
3 | MELTING POINT | 162 °C to 171 °C |
4 | Loss on Drying | NMT 1.0 % |
5 | pH | 6.5 to 7.5 |
The bitterness of the compound guides most applications of denatonium. Denatonium benzoate (Bitrex) has been used in the United States for over 20 years as an alcohol denaturant. It is also used in clinical trials in placebos to mimic the bitter taste of certain medications. It is also added to many kinds of harmful liquids including solvents such as paints, varnishes, nail polish removers, toiletries, etc to prevent accidental swallowing or choking by children.
There are no serious side effects or adverse effects reported with the use of this drug. But People may experience irritability, difficulty sleeping, confusion, nightmares, mood swings, depression, suffer from delusions and suicidal thoughts in case of excessive dosage.
Q. Is Denatonium Benzoate toxic to humans?
When ingested at 10 ppm by human beings, denatonium benzoate has an extremely bitter, unpleasant taste. The addition of denatonium benzoate to liquid dish detergents and orange juice reduces the amount ingested by children. The toxicity of denatonium benzoate is low with acute PO LD50s in rats of 485-740 mg/kg.
Q. Is Denatonium benzoate the same as benzene?
Denatonium benzoate consists of benzoate i.e., the conjugate base of benzoic acid and an ester of two Para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) molecules.
Q. What products have Denatonium benzoate?
Denatonium Benzoate is a common bittering agent used in a variety of products such as antifreeze, windshield washer fluid, perfume, nail polish, paints, disinfectants, cleaning fluids, rubbing alcohol, paints, varnishes, solvents, and pesticides.