Swiss scientists have created a gel that neutralizes alcohol. According to research published Monday in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, the gel breaks down alcohol in the gastrointestinal tract before it enters the bloodstream. In the future, the gel can reduce the harmful and intoxicating effect of alcohol on a person, Rafael Mezenga informed Keystone-ATS agency.
Alcohol appears in the stomach and intestines, where it is absorbed into the blood, and then into the liver, RG.ru wrote. This is where most of the alcohol is excreted. There are enzymes in the liver that convert alcohol into various substances, including acetaldehyde and then acetic acid. Acetaldehyde is toxic and destroys the liver.
"The gel turns alcohol into acetic acid without producing acetaldehyde," Mezenga said. When or during alcohol intake, it transforms the alcohol before it enters the bloodstream. "But if the alcohol is already in the blood, then it's too late," said the researcher.
Scientists envision various uses for the gel. "In experiments on animals, we have shown that the use of our gel in combination with alcohol leads to signs similar to the behavior of hungry mice," said Mezenga, adding that the gel will have a positive effect on relieving the symptoms of wakefulness.
The gel, the researchers noted, should primarily help reduce alcohol-related mortality, as there is evidence that the technology reduces the negative effects of alcohol on organs such as the liver and intestines. In experiments on mice, less weight loss was observed, liver was less damaged, blood parameters were better, spleen and intestines were less damaged. The gel is made from whey proteins, a byproduct of cheese production, that are cooked for several hours to form long, thin strands. Then the researchers add salt and water, and the threads form a gel, in which they then add iron, glucose and gold. All this causes a cascade of reactions that turn the alcohol into acetic acid. The researchers have already applied for a patent, AFP reported.
