Polyacrylamide
Synopsis of polyacrylamide
Polyacrylamide is a synthetic polymer made from acrylamide subunits. It is not a natural compound and is not used for nutritional or herbal purposes, but it plays an important role in industrial, biomedical, and scientific applications. In its non-toxic, cross-linked form, polyacrylamide is widely used in water treatment, cosmetic formulations, agriculture, and molecular biology, particularly in gel electrophoresis to separate proteins and nucleic acids.
The polymer is available in various forms—powder, granules, emulsions, or gels—and is highly absorbent, forming a soft gel when hydrated. In cosmetic and personal care products, it is used as a thickening agent, binder, or film-former, especially in lotions, moisturizers, and hair styling products, contributing to smooth application and product stability.
While polyacrylamide itself is considered non-toxic, acrylamide monomer (its precursor) is a known neurotoxin and potential carcinogen. Therefore, its manufacture and use are strictly regulated to ensure residual acrylamide content is kept to minimal safe levels—particularly in products for human contact or environmental exposure.
In biomedical research, polyacrylamide gels are essential tools for protein analysis (SDS-PAGE), DNA sequencing, and other laboratory techniques that require molecular separation based on size or charge.
Historical Use in Medicine or Industry:
Polyacrylamide was first synthesized in the 1950s and quickly found industrial use as a flocculant—a substance that helps remove solids from liquids by causing particles to clump together. This made it extremely useful in wastewater treatment, paper manufacturing, and oil recovery. In agriculture, it was used to improve water retention in soils and reduce erosion.
Its medical relevance came through its adoption in laboratory diagnostics, especially in electrophoresis and molecular biology. The development of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) in the 1960s revolutionized protein and DNA analysis, making it a cornerstone of biochemical and genetic research.
Although not traditionally "medicinal," polyacrylamide’s applications in cosmetics, diagnostics, and biotechnology have made it an indispensable component of modern science and industry. It is not suitable for ingestion or internal therapeutic use and is not part of herbal or nutritional medicine systems.