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DDMAC 80

DDMAC is quaternary ammonium based antimicrobial used as a bacteriostat, deodorant, disinfectant and(or) a microbiocide.
Didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC) is a dialkyl-quaternary ammonium compound that is used in numerous products for its bactericidal, virucidal and fungicidal properties

Didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC) is an antiseptic/disinfectant that is used in many biocidal applications. It causes disruption of intermolecular interactions and dissociation of lipid bilayers. It is a broad spectrum bactericidal and fungicidal and can be used as disinfectant cleaner for linen, recommended for use in hospitals, hotels and industries. It is also used in gynaecology, surgery, ophthalmology, pediatrics, OT, and for the sterilization of surgical instruments, endoscopes and surface disinfection.
Description: Didecyldimethylammonium chloride is a quaternary ammonium compound used as detergent/disinfectant in hospitals, as algicide in swimming pools, and as a fungicide and against termites in wood. This compound caused contact dermatitis in a hospital employee, also sensitive to glyoxal and bis-(aminopropyl)- laurylamine.
DDMAC is quaternary ammonium based antimicrobial used as a bacteriostat, deodorant, disinfectant and(or) a microbiocide.
Didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC) is a dialkyl-quaternary ammonium compound that is used in numerous products for its bactericidal, virucidal and fungicidal properties

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC) are commonly used as water-based surface disinfectants due to their low volatility and they are increasingly being used in hospitals, hotels and in consumer products (Zhang et al. 2015) due to their broad antimicrobial capabilities. In healthcare settings they are frequently used in clinical settings for the decontamination of surgical instruments, endoscopes and other medical instruments. The use of QAC as antiseptics, disinfectants, detergents and preservatives has increased their incorporation into consumer products that are utilized orally (mouthwash) or applied to the skin or eyes for the purpose of decreasing microbial contamination and reducing the incidence of pathogen-induced illness.

All QAC are permanently charged ions with four alkyl side chains. Their structures contain at least one hydrophobic hydrocarbon chain linked to a positively charged nitrogen atom and other alkyl groups that are mostly short-chain substitutes such as methyl or benzyl groups. The biocidal activity is conferred through alkyl chain length (McBain et al. 2004). The ability to adapt and optimize QAC structure to target specific microbial species has recently increased the utilization of these compounds for use in consumer products (Carson et al. 2008). Dialkyl QAC represent the newest generation of QAC and exhibit a wide spectrum of activity. These new synthetic polymeric QAC contain multiple positively-charged amine centers that confer anti-microbial, anti-static, and surfactant properties in solution. One of the newer QAC in common use is didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC). DDAC is a broad-spectrum bactericidal and fungicidal biocide that exhibits antimicrobial activity against several pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Walsh et al. 2003), Legionella pneumophilia (Skaliy et al. 1980), Stachybotrys chartarum and enveloped and non-enveloped viruses (Argy et al. 1999). It is used in several types of applications including: industrial processes, swimming pools and aquatic areas, wood treatment, healthcare and food handling and storage (Ohnuma et al. 2011).

QAC have been used for over 50 years and have generally been regarded as safe; however, there is very limited published research describing the toxicity of these compounds, especially regarding the newer formulations such as DDAC. A study conducted by Ohnuma et al. (2011) examined the pulmonary defense system following a single intratracheal instillation of DDAC (60 and 150 μg/kg) in C57BL/6J mice. Those authors found that exposure to the high dose induced lung injury as early as 1-d post-exposure, as evidenced by increased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and protein concentrations in the bronchoalveolar (BAL) fluid. There was also an increase in total cells in the BAL (specifically macrophages, neutrophils and lymphocytes), along with increases in interleukin (IL)-6 production by 7-days post-exposure. The authors also suggested that DDAC exposure altered oxidative stress and antimicrobial markers (evaluated by gene expression) in the lungs and systemic co-exposure with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) generated a further enhancement in pulmonary inflammation suggesting a potential increase in susceptibility to bacterial agents.

A more recent study investigated the effects of DDAC following a 2-week inhalation exposure (Lim & Chung 2014) in Sprague-Dawley rats. Aside from decreases in body weight at the highest exposure concentration (3.6 mg/m3), no changes in hematological and blood biochemistry parameters were observed and mild changes were observed in BAL cell counts and cell damage parameters. Interestingly, a recent study observed that, following the introduction of DDAC in an animal facility there was decreased reproductive performance of the laboratory mice. Additional examination identified decreases in fertility and fecundity including increased time to first litter, longer pregnancy intervals, fewer pups per litter and fewer pregnancies in mice following DDAC exposure (Melin et al. 2014).

Epidemiological data and case studies indicate that healthcare workers have an elevated risk for development of sensitization and allergic asthma from either dermal or inhalation exposure to chemicals compared to non-healthcare workers (Warshaw et al. 2008). Biocides such as QAC have been identified to be among the most common allergens in the healthcare profession (Bernstein et al. 1994; Purohit et al. 2000; Shaffer & Belsito 2000; Suneja & Belsito 2008; Gonzalez et al. 2014). A study evaluating 142 patients with suspected allergies to the most commonly used QAC, i.e. benzalkonium chloride (BAC) and benzethonium chloride (BEC), confirmed sensitization by patch test to these compounds in 20% of the patients and identified potential co-reactions between the two QAC in 85% of the subjects who tested positive (Dao et al. 2012).

While there have been fewer overall reported cases of sensitization to the newer formulations of QAC, allergic contact dermatitis and immediate-type allergic reactions caused by DDAC exposure have been recently reported. Four cases, which were confirmed by patch testing or open epicutaneous tests, describe contact dermatitis presenting in hospital and laboratory workers on the hands/wrists and face following exposure to DDAC present in a disinfectant (Dejobert et al. 1997; Dibo & Brasch 2001; Ruiz Oropeza et al. 2011). In addition, there is also a confirmed case of allergic contact dermatitis of the foot resulting from exposure to DDAC that was present in a shoe refresher spray (Mowitz & Ponten 2015). There has also been one case of immediate allergy reported in an individual in catering school who was exposed to DDAC in a cleaning product. This individual suffered from urticaria, facial angioedema and dyspnea within 10 min of exposure. A 20-min open epicutaneous test with the diluted cleaning product and DDAC confirmed immediate-type hypersensitivity (Houtappel et al. 2008). All symptoms in the individuals resolved when exposure to DDAC was eliminated.

While these studies suggest a role for QACs and DDAC in allergic disease, the exact mechanism of action for sensitization to these compounds remains to be investigated and explained. Due to the high potential for human exposure, epidemiological studies suggesting an association with allergic disease and the lack of dermal toxicological data, this study was performed to evaluate the irritancy and skin sensitization potential of DDAC using a murine model in an effort to assess its role in the development of allergic disease.

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