Swiss scientists have developed a protein-based gel that breaks down alcohol in the gastrointestinal tract.
- A gel made from whey, iron and gold has been developed by researchers at ETH Zurich to convert alcohol into acetic acid.
- The latter “moves the breakdown of alcohol from the liver to the digestive tract.”
- In mice, its application made it possible to reduce their blood alcohol level by 40%.
“The development of effective remedies to reduce the impact of alcohol prevalence on global health is a difficult subject. Despite the positive effects observed with the administration of intravenous treatments, their insufficient activities and their complicated use often result in accumulation of harmful acetaldehyde, raising significant clinical concerns, highlighting the pressing need for safe oral strategies.”said researchers from ETH Zurich (Switzerland).
Whey, iron, gold in the gel to convert alcohol into acetic acid
In a recent study, they presented an effective solution to reduce the harmful and intoxicating effects of alcohol. Researchers have developed a gel that breaks down alcohol in the body. In detail, they used whey proteins (i.e. the pale yellow liquid that remains after milk coagulates during cheese making) to produce the gel. The team boiled them for several hours to form long, thin fibers. By adding salt and water as a solvent, the small fibers “cross-link” and form a gel.
To promote the decomposition of alcohol, the authors used iron atoms, as the main catalyst, distributed evenly on the surface of the protein fibers. Thanks to iron, fibers can react effectively with alcohol and transform it into acetic acid. “Tiny amounts of hydrogen peroxide are needed to trigger this reaction in the intestine. They are generated by an upstream reaction between glucose and gold nanoparticles. Gold was chosen as the catalyst for hydrogen peroxide hydrogen because this precious metal is not digested and therefore remains effective longer in the digestive tract”they added.
Alcohol: protein gel reduces blood alcohol level in mice
“The gel moves the breakdown of alcohol from the liver to the digestive tract. Unlike when alcohol is metabolized in the liver, no harmful acetaldehyde is produced,” explained Raffaele Mezzenga, who helped make the gel. The team specified that the gel was only effective as long as alcohol remained in the gastrointestinal tract. This means that it no longer works once the alcohol enters the bloodstream.
As part of the work, published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, the scientists tested the effectiveness of the protein gel on mice that were given alcohol once and on rodents that were given alcohol regularly for ten days. Thirty minutes after ingestion of a single dose of alcohol, application of the gel reduced the mice’s blood alcohol level by 40%. Five hours after drinking alcohol, their blood alcohol level dropped by 56% compared to the control group. Harmful acetaldehyde accumulated less and stress reactions in the animals’ livers were significantly reduced, resulting in better blood results.
In the future, the gel could be taken orally before or during alcohol consumption to prevent the increase in blood alcohol levels and damage to the body caused by acetaldehyde. “It is healthier not to drink alcohol at all. However, the gel could be particularly interesting for people who do not want to give up alcohol completely, but who do not want to put strain on their body and who are not actively seeking the effects of alcohol”, concluded Researchers.