Ethyl Vanillin: Versatile Compound with Applications in Packaging and Pharmaceutical Industry

General Description

Ethyl vanillin finds applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries. In the food industry, it enhances the mechanical properties and barrier performance of films used in food packaging. It also exhibits antibacterial activity and low migration levels, making it suitable for food packaging applications. In the pharmaceutical industry, ethyl vanillin demonstrates strong antioxidant properties both in vitro and in vivo, potentially making it beneficial for developing antioxidant agents. However, caution is advised due to its potential adverse effects at high doses, including anemia, diarrhea, and histological changes. Nonetheless, it also shows anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-nociceptive properties, along with the ability to improve food safety by reducing the thermal tolerance of certain bacteria.

Figure 1. Ethyl vanillin

Applications

Food Industry

Ethyl vanillin is widely used in the food industr. In a study, EV was incorporated into chitosan (CS)/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) blend films for food packaging applications. The films were prepared using the solvent casting technique with different ratios of CS to PVA (1:3, 1:1, and 3:1). Several properties of the films, including mechanical, structural, barrier, optical, food compatibility, and antibacterial properties, were investigated. The addition of Ethyl vanillin significantly improved the tensile strength of the films. The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis confirmed the formation of a Schiff base (CN) and intermolecular hydrogen bonds between CS, PVA, and Ethyl vanillin. The incorporation of EV into the CS/PVA matrix resulted in films with enhanced water vapor transmission rates (WVTRs) and oxygen transmission rates (OTRs), as well as excellent UV barrier capability. The surface morphology of the blend films became smoother, more homogeneous, and denser. The contact angle measurements indicated increased hydrophobicity with increasing CS content in the films. Furthermore, the CPEV-3 blend films exhibited strong antibacterial activity against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Importantly, the overall migration values of the Ethyl vanillin blend films were significantly lower than the acceptable limits for food packaging applications. Based on these findings, the study suggests that Ethyl vanillin blends have great potential as active films for food packaging applications due to their improved mechanical properties, barrier performance, UV protection, hydrophobicity, antibacterial activity, and low migration levels. ¹

Pharmaceutical Industry

Ethyl vanillin, a vanillin analog, has been evaluated for its antioxidant activity in comparison to other vanillin analogs using multiple assay systems. The study found that ethyl vanillin and vanillin demonstrated stronger antioxidant effects than vanillyl alcohol or vanillic acid in the oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay. Although vanillyl alcohol and vanillic acid were found to have superior antioxidant activities in the three model radical assays, ethyl vanillin was observed to exhibit a much stronger antioxidant activity than vanillin in the oxidative hemolysis inhibition assay. Moreover, oral administration of ethyl vanillin in mice was shown to increase the concentration of ethyl vanillic acid, which led to a more significant increase in plasma antioxidant activity compared to the effect of vanillin. These findings suggest that the antioxidant activity of ethyl vanillin may be more beneficial in daily health practice than previously thought. In conclusion, ethyl vanillin exhibits strong antioxidant properties both in vitro and in vivo, making it a promising candidate for the development of antioxidant agents in the pharmaceutical industries. ²

Cautionary Notes on Toxicity

Ethyl vanillin, commonly used as a food additive and flavor enhancer, has been evaluated for its toxicity in both human and animal studies. Human exposure studies revealed that ethyl vanillin had no significant effect on the activity of human CYP450 enzymes at certain concentrations. However, a 2% concentration caused mild skin irritation after prolonged contact. In animal studies, high doses of ethyl vanillin over extended periods led to adverse effects. For instance, in rabbits, oral administration resulted in anemia, diarrhea, and weight loss. Rats fed with high doses of ethyl vanillin showed elevated levels of certain clinical biochemistry parameters and histological changes in the liver, spleen, and lymph nodes. While long-term exposure in rats did not produce adverse effects, in vitro genotoxicity studies indicated potential enhancement of genetic changes. Ethyl vanillin also demonstrated anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-nociceptive properties. Furthermore, it was found to reduce the thermal tolerance of Cronobacter sakazakii in powdered infant formula, suggesting a potential application in improving food safety. Nevertheless, caution should be exercised regarding its unlimited use in foods and drugs to avoid potential adverse interactions and toxicity. ³

Reference

1. Narasagoudr SS, Hegde VG, Vanjeri VN, Chougale RB, Masti SP. Ethyl vanillin incorporated chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) active films for food packaging applications. Carbohydr Polym. 2020 May 15;236:116049.

2. Tai A, Sawano T, Yazama F. Antioxidant properties of ethyl vanillin in vitro and in vivo. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2011;75(12):2346-2350.

3. PubChem Annotation Record for ETHYL VANILLIN. National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2023, Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank.

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