Myristyl Alcohol

Category

Emollient; Emulsion Stabilizer; Oleaginous vehicle; Surfactant; Thickening Agents; Viscosity-controlling Agents

Molecular Formula

C14H30O

Molecular Weight

214.4

Grade

Pharmceutical Excipients

Description

Myristyl alcohol occurs as a white crystalline solid with a waxy odor. Also reported as opaque leaflets or crystals from ethanol.

UNII

V42034O9PU

Chemical Name

Tetradecan-1-ol

CAS Number

112-72-1

Synonyms

Alcohol miristilo; Dytol R-52; Lanette Wax KS; Lorol C14-95; Loxanol V; myristic alcohol; Nacol 14-95; Nacol 14-98; 1- tetradecanol; n-tetradecanol-1; n-tetradecyl alcohol; tetradecyl alcohol; Unihydag WAX-14

Stability and Storage Conditions

The bulk material should be stored in a well-closed container in a cool, dry place.

Source and Preparation

Myristyl alcohol is found in spermaceti wax and sperm oil, and may be synthesized by sodium reduction of fatty acid esters or the reduction of fatty acids by lithium aluminum hydride. It can also be formed from acetaldehyde and dimethylamine.

Applications

Myristyl alcohol is used in oral, parenteral, and topical pharmaceutical formulations. It has been evaluated as a penetration enhancer in melatonin transdermal patches in rats.Myristyl alcohol has also been tested as a bilayer stabilizer in niosome formulations containing ketorolac tromethamine, and zidovudine.Niosomes containing myristyl alcohol showed a considerably slower release rate of ketorolac tromethamine than those containing cholesterol. This was also observed with the zidovudine formulation.

Safety

Myristyl alcohol is used in oral parenteral, and topical pharmaceutical formulations. The pure form of myristyl alcohol is mildly toxic by ingestion and may be carcinogenic; experimental tumorigenic data are available. It is also a human skin irritant. In animal studies of the skin permeation enhancement effect of saturated fatty alcohols, myristyl alcohol exhibited a lower effect when compared with decanol, undecanol, or lauryl alcohol but caused greater skin irritation.A study investigating contact sensitization to myristyl alcohol revealed that patch testing of myristyl alcohol 10% petrolatum should not be carried out owing to observed irritant effects; thus the use of a lower concentration of myristyl alcohol for such tests (5% petrolatum) was recommended.Myristyl alcohol has been associated with some reports of contact allergy.A moderate-to-severe erythema and moderate edema are seen when 75 mg is applied to human skin intermittently in three doses over 72 hours. LD50(rabbit, skin): 7.1 g/kg LD50(rat, oral): 33.0 g/kg

Incompatibilities

Myristyl alcohol is combustible when exposed to heat or flame. It can react with oxidizing materials. When heated to decomposition, it emits acrid smoke and irritating fumes.