Glossary

Benzyl Alcohol

Glossary / Benzyl Alcohol
Reagent

Benzyl Alcohol — An aromatic alcohol used at 0.9% concentration as a bacteriostatic preservative in sterile water for peptide reconstitution.

Category
Reagent
Glossary Section
B

What Is Benzyl Alcohol?

Benzyl alcohol is a preservative used at 0.9% (9 mg/mL) in bacteriostatic water and multi-dose injectable peptide formulations. It prevents microbial growth after initial vial puncture, enabling safe multi-dose use. Benzyl alcohol has both bacteriostatic and mild local anesthetic properties.

Considerations

  • Compatibility: Some peptides are destabilized by benzyl alcohol. Stability testing required
  • Contraindication: Toxic to neonates ("gasping syndrome"). Use sterile water for neonatal formulations
  • Alternatives: m-Cresol (used in insulin formulations), phenol, chlorobutanol

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Benzyl Alcohol?

An aromatic alcohol used at 0.9% concentration as a bacteriostatic preservative in sterile water for peptide reconstitution.

Why is Benzyl Alcohol important in peptide research?

Benzyl Alcohol is a fundamental concept in reagent as it relates to peptide science. It directly influences experimental design, compound characterization, and the reliability of research outcomes across biochemistry and molecular biology disciplines.

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