Chemical Properties
1-DOCOSANOL is white powder
Uses
1-Docosanol works as a surfactant in cosmetics. 1-Docosanol cream has also been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as a safe and effective topical treatment for herpes labialis
Uses
n-Docosanol is a binder and an emulsion stabilizer. It is also used to increase a formulation’s viscosity. This is a mixture of fatty alcohols. behenyl alcohol may be used for any number of purposes in a cosmetic formulation, including as an emollient, a binder, an emulsion stabilizer, or to increase a product’s viscosity. It may be derived either synthetically or from plants.
Definition
1-DOCOSANOL is a long-chain, saturated fatty alcohol.
Indications
Docosanol (Abreva) is a long-chain saturated alcohol
that is clinically effective against HSV. It has in vitro activity
against many enveloped viruses, including CMV,
influenzavirus, and respiratory syncytial virus.
Docosanol is not directly virucidal; instead, it blocks
the entry of the virion into the host cell by inhibiting the
fusion of the viral envelope with the host plasma membrane.
Because it does not affect viral replication or protein
production, it may be less susceptible to the development
of resistance than other antiviral drugs.
General Description
1-Docosanol inhibits replication of certain viruses (herpes simplex virus and respiratory syncytial virus) within primary target cells
in vitro. It has been isolated from
Clematis brevicaudata.
Flammability and Explosibility
Not classified
Pharmaceutical Applications
1-DOCOSANOL is a 22-carbon straight chain alcohol licensed for over-thecounter sales for the topical treatment of herpes labialis. It is thought to act by blocking viral fusion with the host cell, although definitive studies are lacking. The clinical relevance of the antiviral activity has been debated and the place of this medication as a treatment of herpes labialis remains to be established.
Clinical Use
Docosanol cream is approved for the over-the-counter
treatment of herpes labialis. It shortens the duration of
symptoms of cold sores and fever blisters but does not
provide symptomatic relief.
Side effects
Adverse effects of docosanol are minimal. Skin irritation
occurs infrequently. Drug interactions are not anticipated.
Purification Methods
Crystallise docosanol from ether or chloroform/ether. [Beilstein 1 IV 1906.]
