Sodium thioglycolate

Chemical properties

White solid

The Uses of Sodium thioglycolate

Sodium thioglycolate has been used:

• as a growth supplement in enrichment media and to study its effect on Arcobacter
• in influenza hemagglutinin formulation in order to reduce disulfide-mediated cross-linking and early potency loss
• in electron microscopy

The Uses of Sodium thioglycolate

dipilatory, irritant, chelating agent

The Uses of Sodium thioglycolate

In cold-waving of hair; as depilatory; in bacteriology for the preparation of thioglycolate media; as analytical reagent, see Thioglycolic Acid.

What are the applications of Application

Sodium thioglycolate is a disulfide reducing agent

Definition

The sodium salt of thioglycolic acid.

General Description

White powder with a slight odor. Used in cold-waving of hair and as a dipilatory.

Air & Water Reactions

Hygroscopic. Discolors on exposure to air. Water soluble.

Reactivity Profile

Sodium thioglycolate is hygroscopic and sensitive to air. Discolors if exposed to iron . May generate flammable and toxic hydrogen sulfide with strong reducing agents.

Hazard

Yields toxic hydrogen sulfide on decompo- sition, may be toxic by skin absorption.

Fire Hazard

Flash point data for Sodium thioglycolate are not available. Sodium thioglycolate is probably combustible.

Flammability and Explosibility

Non flammable

Biochem/physiol Actions

Sodium thioglycolate is a commonly used reagent for bacteriological research to maintain reducing conditions in media. Thioglycolate can also protect enzymes against inactivation by maintaining protein thiol groups in the reduced state. Thioglycolate medium is frequently used in inflammation research to elicit a neutrophil and macrophage response in vivo.

Safety Profile

Poison by intravenous and intraperitoneal routes. Moderately toxic by ingestion. A human skin irritant. This material yields hydrogen sulfide on decomposition. A death has been attributed to the absorption of toxic decomposition products from the use of this material in a hair permanent-waving solution. When heated to decomposition it emits toxic fumes of SOx and Na2O. See also SULFIDES and MERCAPTANS.

Purification Methods

It crystallises from 60% EtOH (charcoal). It is hygroscopic.[Beilstein 3 IV 600.]