My watch list
my.chemeurope.com  
Login  

Monobenzone



Monobenzone
Systematic (IUPAC) name
4-(Benzyloxy}phenol
Identifiers
CAS number 103-16-2
ATC code D11AX13
PubChem  ?
Chemical data
Formula C13H12O2 
Mol. mass 200.233 g/mol
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability  ?
Metabolism  ?
Half life  ?
Excretion  ?
Therapeutic considerations
Pregnancy cat.

?

Legal status
Routes Topical

Monobenzone is the monobenzyl ether of hydroquinone used medically for depigmentation. Monobenzone occurs as a white, almost tasteless crystalline powder, soluble in alcohol and practically insoluble in water.

Pharmacology

The topical application of monobenzone in animals increases the excretion of melanin from the melanocytes. The same action is thought to be responsible for the depigmenting effect of the drug in humans. Monobenzone may cause destruction of melanocytes and permanent depigmentation.

The histology of the skin after depigmentation with topical monobenzone is the same as that seen in vitiligo; the epidermis is normal except for the absence of identifiable melanocytes. Therefore, monobenzone is used as a topical medicine to permanently depigment normal skin surrounding vitiliginous lesions only in patients with disseminated (greater than 50 percent of body surface area) idiopathic vitiligo.

Sources

  • http://www.chemicalland21.com/lifescience/foco/BENOQUIN.htm
  • http://www.medicinenet.com/monobenzone-topical/article.htm


 
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Monobenzone". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.
Your browser is not current. Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 does not support some functions on Chemie.DE