Abstract
The problems of poisonousness and harmfulness by textile finishing agents and synthetic detergents have been dealt chiefly as external skin lesion and dermatitis, without regarding internal disturbances.
But recently, poisonousness by surface active agents are in consideration.
Therefore the author observed how texitle finishing agents and synthetic detergents affect the activity of enzymes in vitro.
As enzymes, transaminases and lactic dehydrogenase which require anti-dermatitic factors as coenzymes to the enzymic activity, and three other hydrolases are used.
The results are summarized as follows :
1) The activity of the enzymes requiring anti-dermatitic factors, especially transaminases, are remarkably inhibited by formaldehyde and anionic surface active agents. This means that inhibition of the anti-dermatitic activity by these agents may partly be the cause of dermatitis, besides any internal disturbances.
2) The considerable inhibitory action by the textile finishing agents and anionic surface active agents that are observed in other enzymes, seems to clarify the poisonousness of these agents.
3) On the other hand, a nonionic surface active agent tested give little effect on all enzymes examined, except choline esterase which showed a little inhibition only at impractically high concentration.
To protect ourselves, we should take enough caution against excess contact and oral contamination to the above enzyme inhibitors.
