Cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) is the chloride salt form of cetylpyridinium and  a class of quaternary ammonium compounds and cationic surfactants and it is widely used in the food industry and exhibit antibacterial mechanisms.

The name describes the structure of the molecule:

• Cetyl refers to the cetyl group, an alkyl group derived from palmitic fatty acid. The cetyl group is known for its emollient and stabilizing properties in various products.
• pyridinium indicates the presence of a pyridine ring, an organic compound with basic properties. In cetylpyridinium chloride, the pyridinium group is modified to confer antiseptic properties.
• chloride indicates that the compound is a salt, specifically a chloride salt, which contributes to its effectiveness as an antiseptic.

Raw Materials and Their Functions

Cetylpyridinium. A cationic compound that forms the base of cetylpyridinium chloride. It works by disrupting the bacterial cell membranes, leading to their death.

Chloride. Used to form the cetylpyridinium salt, enhancing its solubility and effectiveness.

Industrial Chemical Synthesis of Cetylpyridinium Chloride

• Synthesis of cetylpyridinium, which may involve the reaction of pyridine compounds with alkylating agents.
• Reaction with Chloride. After synthesizing cetylpyridinium, it is reacted with chloride to form cetylpyridinium chloride.
• Purification. After the reaction, cetylpyridinium chloride is purified to remove impurities and by-products.
• Quality Control. The purified cetylpyridinium chloride undergoes quality checks to ensure it meets the required standards. After quality control, it is packaged for use in oral hygiene products, where it utilizes its antibacterial properties.

Form and Color

 Cetylpyridinium Chloride is typically a solid in the form of crystalline powder. This compound is usually white or slightly yellowish.

What it is for and where

It is widely used as an antiseptic and antibacterial agent in oral hygiene products, such as mouthwashes and toothpastes. Cetylpyridinium Chloride is known for its effectiveness in reducing bacterial plaque and combating bad breath. It is also used in some throat sprays and cough lozenges for its antimicrobial properties.

Studies

Cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) has been used for decades against a variety of pathogens (1).
For this reason, CPC and other quaternary ammonium compounds are commonly employed in the prevention of bacterial and fungal infections within healthcare settings. Yet there is little evidence demonstrating their effectiveness against respiratory viruses. Here, we evaluated CPC efficacy against the prototypical respiratory influenza virus demonstrating: direct virucidal activity against influenza, rapid activity following exposure, viral ultrastructure disruption, absence of influenza resistance following prolonged exposure, and prevention and treatment of influenza infection in a murine model (2).

Cetylpyridinium chloride is used in toothpastes or as mouthwash for oral hygiene.

The results from this double-blind clinical study demonstrate that after two weeks and four weeks of subjects' twice-daily brushing with a commercially-available regular fluoride toothpaste and rinsing with a commercially available fluoride-free and alcohol-free 0.075% cetylpyridinium chloride mouthwash, samples taken 12 h after oral hygiene had significantly greater reductions in the number of oral bacteria compared to those who only brushed twice a day with a commercially-available regular fluoride toothpaste. In addition, after four weeks of twice-daily brushing with a commercially-available regular fluoride toothpaste and rinsing with a commercially available fluoride-free and alcohol-free 0.075% cetylpyridinium chloride mouthwash, subjects' samples taken 12 h after oral hygiene had significantly greater reductions in gingivitis, dental plaque, gingival bleeding and probing depth compared to subjects who only brushed twice a day with a commercially available regular fluoride toothpaste (2).

Molecular Formula   C₂₁H₃₈ClN
Molecular Weight  339.992
CAS  123-03-5

UNII 6BR7T22E2S

EC Number: 204-593-9

DSSTox Substance ID: DTXSID6041761

MDL number  MFCD00149977

PubChem Substance ID 24892270

ISBN-10: MFCD00149977

Beilstein/REAXYS Number:  3578606

NACRES:  NA.21

Synonyms: 

• Cetylpyridinium chloride monohydrate
• Hexadecylpyridinium chloride monohydrate
• 1-Hexadecylpyridinium chloride
• Cepacol
• Dobendan

References____________________________________________________________________

(1) Federal Register. 27. Vol. 59. Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration; Feb 9, 1994. pp. 6093–4.

(2) Popkin DL, Zilka S, Dimaano M, Fujioka H, Rackley C, Salata R, Griffith A, Mukherjee PK, Ghannoum MA, Esper F.  Cetylpyridinium Chloride (CPC) Exhibits Potent, Rapid Activity Against Influenza Viruses in vitro and in vivo.   Pathog Immun. 2017;2(2):252-269. doi: 10.20411/pai.v2i2.200. Epub 2017 Jun 26.

(3) Haraszthy VI, Sreenivasan PK. Microbiological and clinical effects of an oral hygiene regimen. 
Contemp Clin Trials Commun. 2017 Aug 18;8:85-89. doi: 10.1016/j.conctc.2017.08.010. eCollection 2017 Dec.