Definition
An antiseptic and disinfectant aromatic alcohol.
Used as a flavouring agent in a few foods, at maximum levels below 10 ppm Phenol, also known as carbolic acid, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5OH. It is a white crystalline solid. The molecule consists of a phenyl (-C6H5), bonded to a hydroxyl (-OH) group. It is produced on a large scale (about 7 billion kg/year) as a precursor to many materials and useful compounds. (Wikipedia)
The major uses of phenol involve its conversion to precursors for plastics. It's an ingredient that helps produce BPA (bisphenol-A) and nylon.
Phenol is used as an oral anesthetic/analgesic in products such as Chloraseptic or other brand name and generic equivalents, commonly used to temporarily treat sore throat.
Description
Phenol, is a toxic, colourless crystalline solid with a sweet tarry odor that resembles a hospital smell. It is commonly used as an antiseptic and disinfectant. It is active against a wide range of micro-organisms including some fungi and viruses, but is only slowly effective against spores. It has been used to disinfect skin and to relieve itching. Phenol is also used in the preparation of cosmetics including sunscreens, hair dyes, and skin lightening preparations. It is also used in the production of drugs (it is the starting material in the industrial production of aspirin), weedkillers, and synthetic resins. Phenol can be found in areas with high levels of motor traffic, therefore, people living in crowded urban areas are frequently exposed to traffic-derived phenol vapor. The average (mean +/- SD) phenol concentration in urine among normal individuals living in urban areas is 7.4 +/- 2.2 mg/g of creatinine. Exposure of the skin to concentrated phenol solutions causes chemical burns which may be severe; in laboratories where it is used, it is usually recommended that polyethylene glycol solution is kept available for washing off splashes. Notwithstanding the effects of concentrated solutions, it is also used in cosmetic surgery as an exfoliant, to remove layers of dead skin (Wikipedia). In some bacteria phenol can be directly synthesized from tyrosine via the enzyme tyrosine phenol-lyase [EC:4.1.99.2].
Phenol is Found in These Foods
Top Gene Interactions
Related Pathways
Phenol Health Effects
- Analgesic
- Anesthetic
- Anti hemorrhoidal
- Anti hydrocoele
- Anti incontinence
- Anti monosodium-glutamate
- Anti otitic
- Antioxidant
- Anti prostatitic
- Anti pyruvetic
- Anti septic
- Anti sinusitic
- Anti spastic
- Anti viral
- Cancer preventive
- Carcinogenic
- Central nervous system depressant
- Emetic
- Fungicide
- Hemolytic
- Pesticide
- Rodenticide
- Vasodilator
- Anti bacterial
- Anti onychogryphotic
- Anti wrinkle
General Information
- Metabolism: When it is absorbed through the lungs, gut, or skin, phenol conjugated at the portal-of-entry and free phenol enter the bloodstream where it can then be distributed throughout the body. The dilution of phenol in water enhances the dermal absorption of phenol. Three different enzymes systems catalyze the reactions that transform phenol. Cytosolic phenol sulfotransferases catalyze the transfer of inorganic sulfur from the activated 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'phosphosulfate donor molecule to the hydroxyl group on phenol. Microsomal membrane-located uridine diphosphate (UDP) glucuronosyltransferases catalyze the transfer of an activated glucuronic acid molecule to the hydroxyl moiety of phenol to form an O-glucuronide conjugate. Cytochrome P4502E1, also microsomally located, catalyzes the hydroxylation of phenol to form hydroquinone (and to a much lesser extent, catechol), which is then acted upon by the phase II enzymes. Hydroquinone can, in turn, form conjugates, undergo peroxidation to form benzoquinone, or undergo further oxidation to form trihydroxybenzene. All three enzyme systems that metabolize phenol are found in multiple tissues and there is competition among them not only for phenol, but also for subsequent oxidative products, like hydroquinone. As a consequence, the relative amount of the products formed can vary based on species, dose and route of administration. Cytochromes other than CYP2E1, such as CYP2F2 are suggested to participate in the phenol metabolism in the liver. Tyrosinase also catalyzes the oxidation of phenols. The gastrointestinal tract, liver, lung, and kidney appear to be the major sites of phenol sulfate and glucuronide conjugation of simple phenols. Phenol, in its free and conjugated forms, is a normal constituent of human urine. (L624, A223, A225, A221, A224)
- Uses/Sources: Phenol is used to make plastics. Phenol is also used as a disinfectant in household cleaning products and in consumer products such as mouthwashes, gargles, throat sprays. Exposure may result from breathing air containing phenol and drinking contaminated water or eating food contaminated with phenol. Exposure also occurs through dermal contact with contaminated air or by skin contact with products containing phenol. Dermal contact can occur through the use of general disinfectants and ointments containing phenol. Ingestion can occur through the use of products such as throat lozenges or sore throat sprays that contain phenol. (L624)
- Health Effects: Long-term exposure to phenol at work has been associated with cardiovascular disease, irritation of the respiratory tract and muscle twitching depedning of the route of exposure. Ingestion of liquid products containing concentrated phenol can cause serious gastrointestinal damage and even death. Application of concentrated phenol to the skin can cause severe skin damage. Longer-term exposure to high levels of phenol caused damaged to the heart, kidneys, liver, and lungs. Liver effects, as judged by increased serum activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate amino transferase (AST), were also reported in a case of prolonged inhalation exposure to phenol. (L624)
- Symptoms: Burning pain in mouth and throat; white necrotic lesions in mouth; abdominal pain, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, pallor, sweating, weakness, headache, dizziness, tinnitus can result from phenol poisoning. Phenol absorption can lead to weak irregular pulse, hypotension, shallow respirations, cyanosis, pallor, a profound fall in body temperature, muscle tremors, and difficulty walking. Possibly fleeting excitement and confusion, followed by unconsciousness. (T48, L624)
- Route of Exposure: Inhalation (L159) ; oral (L159) ; dermal (L159) ; eye contact (L159)
Toxicity
- Carcinogenicity: 3, not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans. (L135)
- Toxicity: LD50: 400 mg/kg/day (Oral, Rat) (L624) LD50: 669 mg/cm2/day (Dermal, Rat) (L624) LD50: 1400 mg/cm2/day (Dermal, Rabbit) (L624)
- Minimum Risk Level: Acute Oral: 1 mg/kg/day (Rat) (L624)
Phenol Interacts with Diseases
| Disease | Inference Score | References/Inference Genes |
| Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental | 40.54 |
|
| Lung Neoplasms | 39.47 |
|
| Prostatic Neoplasms | 37.31 |
|
| Breast carcinoma | 36.3 |
|
| Reperfusion Injury | 34.35 |
|
| Myocardial Ischemia | 30.34 |
|
| Kidney Failure, Chronic | 29.45 |
|
| Hepatocellular carcinoma | 29.22 |
|
| Dermatitis, Contact | 27.56 |
|
| Brain Ischemia | 26.53 |
|
| Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 | 26.41 |
|
| Cell Transformation, Neoplastic | 25.02 |
|
| Adenocarcinoma | 24.28 |
|
| Myocardial Reperfusion Injury | 24.06 |
|
| Hypertension | 22.62 |
|
| Obesity | 22.05 |
|
| Heat Stroke | 21.63 |
|
| Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental | 20.94 |
|
| Visceral leishmaniasis | 20.78 |
|
| Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung | 19.99 |
|