Soap and syndets: differences and analogies, sources of great confusion.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci
; 24(21): 11432-11439, 2020 Nov.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-934955
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
Soap has been used by humankind since ancient times and was probably already known to the Sumerians. It is a fatty acid salt obtained from the reaction of a strong base with a fatty substance of animal (tallow) or plant origin (oil). This reaction is called saponification. Syndets, on the other hand, are much more recent and have been in use for about a century. In the case of liquid syndets, they are mainly alkyl sulphates and their derivatives alkyl ether sulphates while isethionates and sarcosinates are more commonly found in solid syndets. Synthetic soaps and detergents are surfactants and, as such, they have detergent properties. The way soap works accounts for its antimicrobial properties. Thanks to its amphiphilic structure, it is able to interact with the lipid membranes of microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, etc.) and inactivate them. In this coronavirus pandemic period, health authorities worldwide recommend hand washing with soap and water. We therefore wanted to provide a summary of the chemical characteristics and applications of soaps, on the one hand, and synthetic detergents, on the other. Soap is not the only product used for hand hygiene and, given the current situation, alternatives are complex and varied.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pneumonia, Viral
/
Soaps
/
Hand Disinfection
/
Coronavirus Infections
/
Detergents
/
Pandemics
/
Betacoronavirus
/
Anti-Infective Agents
Type of study:
Observational study
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci
Journal subject:
Pharmacology
/
Toxicology
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Eurrev_202011_23637
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