The Daily Molecule

Luminol is a versatile chemical that exhibits chemiluminescence, with a striking blue glow, when mixed with an appropriate oxidizing agent. It is a white to slightly yellow crystalline solid that is soluble in water and most polar organic solvents.

Luminol is used by forensic investigators to detect trace amounts of blood left at crime scenes. It is also used by biologists in cellular assays for the detection of copper, iron, and cyanides.

Resources

• How Luminol Works

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Luminol.

PETN (pentaerythritol tetranitrate, also known as pentrite, or rarely and primarily in German as nitropenta) is one of the most powerful high explosives known, with a relative effectiveness factor (R.E. factor) of 1.66. It is more sensitive to shock or friction than TNT or tetryl, and it is never used alone as a booster. It is primarily used in booster and bursting charges of small caliber ammunition, in upper charges of detonators in some and mines and shells, and as the explosive core of detonation cord. PETN is also used as a vasodilator, similar to nitroglycerin.

Resources

• Research Shows Explosives Remain Part Of Human Hair

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article PETN.

Piracetam (brand name: Nootropil, Qropi, Myocalm, Dinagen) is a nootropic. It is a dietary supplement which is claimed to enhance cognition and memory, slow down brain aging, increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain, aid stroke recovery, and improve Alzheimer's, Down syndrome, dementia, and dyslexia, among others. Piracetam shares the same 2-oxo-pyrrolidone base structure with pyroglutamate. Piracetam is a cyclic derivative of GABA. It is one of the racetams. Piracetam is prescribed by doctors for some conditions, mainly myoclonus, but is used off-label for a much wider range of applications. However, some treat it as a food supplement rather than a drug.

References

• Piracetam and other structurally related nootropics

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Piracetam.

Wurster's Blue is the trivial name given to the chemical N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine, also known as TMPD. It is an easily oxidised phenylenediamine, which loses two electrons in one-electron oxidation steps; the radical cation is a characteristic blue-violet colour, which gives the compound part of its name. The remaining part of its name comes from its discoverer, the German chemist Casimir Wurster (August 7 1854 - 29 November 1913).

References

• A video showing the oxidation of Wurster's blue and the colour changes seen

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Wurster's Blue.

Resveratrol is a phytoalexin produced naturally by several plants when under attack by pathogens such as bacteria or fungi. Resveratrol has also been produced by chemical synthesis, and is sold as a nutritional supplement derived primarily from Japanese knotweed. Studies in vitro and in animals have suggest a number of potential therapeutic properties, including anti-cancer, antiviral, neuroprotective, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory. Resveratrol is found in the skin of red grapes and is a constituent of red wine but, based on extrapolation from animal trials, apparently not in sufficient amounts to explain the "French paradox" that the incidence of coronary heart disease is relatively low in southern France despite high dietary intake of saturated fats.

References

• Nature Rev. Drug Disc. - Therapeutic potential of resveratrol: the in vivo evidence

• Am. J. Enol. Vitic. - Resveratrol Concentration in Muscadine Berries, Juice, Pomace, Purees, Seeds, and Wines

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Resveratrol.