3 ms·
I always found it interesting that Denatonium, one of the most bitter substances known, is structurally very similar to Lidocaine, a local anesthetic that would
by Denatonium 4y ago
I always found it interesting that Denatonium, one of the most bitter substances known, is structurally very similar to Lidocaine, a local anesthetic that would numb the taste buds. It's just another example of how a seemingly minor tweak to a structural formula can drastically alter the properties of a substance.
- Synaesthesia 4y agoThey look pretty different to me, but that is an interesting fact. It also seems that humans are a lot more sensitive to it than rats are.
- radicality 4y agoIn the wiki article, the section on synthesis describes how it’s made from lidocaine as starting point. Another name for it is actually “lidocaine benzylbenzoate”. If you take a look again at the diagrams, you’ll notice that it’s almost exactly the same, except one of the N now has a benzene ring attached to it.
- solumunus 4y agoI'm no chemist but the pictures on Wikipedia look nothing alike.
- Doxin 4y agoPretty interesting too that lidocaine is pretty bitter too, though presumably nowhere near as powerful as bitrex.