Phenol is an organic compound appreciably soluble in water, with
about 84.2 g dissolving in 1000 mL (0.895 M).
Homogeneous mixtures of phenol and water at phenol to water mass ratios of ~2.6
and higher are possible. The sodium salt of phenol, sodium phenoxide, is far
more water-soluble. (Wikipedia, 2019)
Phenolic compounds used as antiseptics or disinfectants include pure
phenol and substitution products with halogens and alkyl groups. They act to
denature and coagulate proteins and are general protoplasmic poisons. (Wickstrom, msdvetmanual, 2019)
Phenol (carbolic acid) is one of the oldest antiseptic agents. It is
bacteriostatic at concentrations of 0.1%–1% and is bactericidal/fungicidal at
1%–2%. A 5% solution kills anthrax spores in 48 hr. The bactericidal activity
is enhanced by EDTA and warm temperatures; it is decreased by alkaline medium
(through ionization), lipids, soaps, and cold temperatures. Concentrations
>0.5% exert a local anesthetic effect, whereas a 5% solution is strongly
irritating and corrosive to tissues. Oral ingestion or extensive application to
skin can cause systemic toxicity, manifested primarily by CNS and
cardiovascular effects; death may result. (Wickstrom, msdvetmanual, 2019)
Phenol has good penetrating power into organic matter and is mainly used
for disinfection of equipment or organic materials that are to be destroyed
(eg, infected food and excreta). Because of its irritant and corrosive
properties and potential systemic toxicity, it is not used much as an
antiseptic currently, except to cauterize infected areas, eg, the infected
umbilicus of neonates. It is also incorporated into cutaneous applications for
pruritus, stings, bites, burns, etc, because of its local anesthetic and
antibacterial properties to relieve itching and control infections.
Phenol is a benzene ring with
one hydroxyl group substituted
for a hydrogen atom. It is usually prepared by the hospital pharmacy because
it is not commercially available in premixed liquid form. Phenol is poorly
soluble in water and, at room temperature, forms only a 6.7% aqueous solution.
It has a shelf life of approximately 1 year if refrigerated and shielded from
light exposure. When phenol is exposed to
room air, it oxidizes and turns a reddish color. Phenol is frequently prepared
with contrast and sterile water, sterile saline, or glycerin. When it is
prepared with glycerin, it has limited anatomic spread, and, hence, injections
are well localized. In rats, the aqueous solution of phenol has greater ability
to penetrate the perineurium and
produce greater endoneurial damage than glycerin preparations, but there is no
difference in results following intraneural injection.13 Unlike
alcohol, phenol injection has an initial local anesthetic effect. It is not
associated with localized burning but instead creates a sensation of warmth for
a short time after injection. The distribution of this sensation can help the
practitioner verify proper needle placement similar to a diagnostic local
anesthetic injection. Concentrations of 4% to 10% are typically used for neurolysis. When phenol is
prepared in glycerin, it has a specific gravity of 1.25, making it hyperbaric.
Preparations of phenol in glycerin are highly viscous, which may make
administration through a small (22 or 25 gauge) spinal needle difficult. (Meredith C.B. Adams Robert W. Hurley, 2014)
Phenol has occupied a prominent place in the field of hospital
disinfection since its initial use as a germicide by Lister in his pioneering
work on antiseptic surgery. In the past 30 years, however, work has
concentrated on the numerous phenol derivatives or phenolics and their
antimicrobial properties. Phenol derivatives originate when a functional group
(e.g., alkyl, phenyl, benzyl, halogen) replaces one of the hydrogen atoms on
the aromatic ring. Two phenol derivatives commonly found as constituents of
hospital disinfectants are ortho-phenylphenol and ortho-benzyl-para-chlorophenol.
The antimicrobial properties of these compounds and many other phenol
derivatives are much improved over those of the parent chemical. Phenolics are
absorbed by porous materials, and the residual disinfectant can irritate
tissue. In 1970, depigmentation of the skin was reported to be caused by
phenolic germicidal detergents containing para-tertiary butylphenol
and para-tertiary amylphenol. (Prevention, 2016)
In high concentrations, phenol acts as a gross protoplasmic poison,
penetrating and disrupting the cell wall and precipitating the cell proteins.
Low concentrations of phenol and higher molecular-weight phenol derivatives
cause bacterial death by inactivation of essential enzyme systems and leakage
of essential metabolites from the cell wall. (Prevention, 2016)
Published reports on the antimicrobial efficacy of commonly used
phenolics showed they were bactericidal, fungicidal, virucidal, and
tuberculocidal. Many phenolic germicides are EPA-registered
as disinfectants for use on environmental surfaces (e.g., bedside tables,
bedrails, and laboratory surfaces) and noncritical medical devices. Phenolics
are not FDA-cleared as high-level disinfectants for use with semicritical items
but could be used to preclean or decontaminate critical and semicritical
devices before terminal sterilization or high-level disinfection. (Prevention,
2016)
Formulation
In this formulation, we use phenol, phenol derivatives, pine essential
oil, 1,7,7-Trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-one, surfactant, and water.
Bibliography
Meredith C.B. Adams Robert W. Hurley.
(2014). Science Direct. Retrieved 11 9, 2019, from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/phenol
Prevention, C. f. (2016, September 18). US Department of Health and
Human Services. Retrieved November 9, 2019, from CDC:
https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/disinfection/disinfection-methods/chemical.html
Wickstrom, M. L. (n.d.). Retrieved 11 9, 2019, from
https://www.msdvetmanual.com/pharmacology/antiseptics-and-disinfectants/phenols-and-related-compounds.
Wickstrom, M. L. (2019). msdvetmanual. Retrieved 11 9, 2019, from
Veterinary Manual:
https://www.msdvetmanual.com/pharmacology/antiseptics-and-disinfectants/phenols-and-related-compounds
Wikipedia. (2019, 11 7). Retrieved 11 9, 2019, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenol
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