Ethyl alcohol is produced from vegetable (agricultural) sources of plants such as corn, wheat, barley, sugar beets and sugar cane through fermentation. Sugar beets are widely used for this type of production in our country.
Ethyl alcohol is the only type of alcohol that can be metabolized in the body and is safe to use. Actodermanol contains ethyl alcohol. 70% v/v corresponds to an average of 65.9 g of alcohol. It works against bacteria, fungi and viruses.
What is isopropyl alcohol (2-propanol)?
In addition to ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol is often used for hand antisepsis. Isopropyl alcohol is another name for 2-propanol. It is extracted from oil. Actoderm contains isopropyl alcohol. 70% v/v corresponds to an average of 62.8 g of alcohol. It works against bacteria, fungi and viruses.
What is the order of activities?
The effectiveness of alcohols used in hand antisepsis also varies. The order of effectiveness is as follows:
n-propanol (1-propanol) > isopropyl alcohol (2-propanol) > ethyl alcohol (ethanol).
Concentrations of 42% n-propanol = 60% isopropanol = 77% ethanol are required to achieve the same efficiencies. Various studies have shown that solutions containing 50-90% ethyl alcohol or alcohol combinations are extremely effective at killing and inhibiting microorganisms.
The user can choose any alcoholic product. There is no difference between the products in terms of effectiveness, but the type of alcohol used is different.
What is the mechanism of action? What is it effective against?
The main mechanism of action of alcohols is the denaturation of proteins. They have strong and rapid killing activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, mycobacteria and many viruses.
With the exception of the rabies virus, most enveloped viruses [e.g. Corona virus, herpes simplex virus, HIV, influenza virus, RSV and vaccinia virus] are quickly inactivated. Although they have less effect on hepatitis B and C viruses, they also inactivate these viruses.
To be effective against non-enveloped viruses, they must be exposed for long periods of time and in higher concentrations. Bacterial spores are ineffective, bacterial spores can stay alive for a long time in alcohols.
Other alcohols:
Aromatic alcohols such as phenylethanol and benzyl alcohol can be used as additives in hand sanitizers to achieve a synergistic effect due to their pleasant floral scents and microbiological effects. Ethylene glycol and glycerin, known as polyalcohols, are more like antifreezes etc. Another type of alcohol is methanol. Methanol is not preferred as a hand sanitizer due to its toxicity and low activity.
Alcohol antiseptic is not recommended for dirty hands. If it is dirty, washing your hands (Actoman) is recommended first.
