Can by-products in country-made alcohols induce acute pancreatitis?
OBJECTIVE
We previously reported a high incidence of alcohol-related acute pancreatitis (AP) in Goa, India, where country-made alcoholic products are consumed in addition to the commercially available alcoholic products. We aimed to analyze the composition of these country-made alcoholic products consumed by a population with a high incidence of alcohol-related AP.


METHODS
Three locally distilled alcoholic products (ethanol content, >20%) regularly consumed by patients developing AP, as determined by responses in a patient questionnaire, were selected. Three commercially available products with comparable ethanol content (rum, whiskey, and brandy) were used for comparison. Representative samples were analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Compound assignments used mass spectral searches of the NIST library (2008).


RESULTS
Commercially available rum, whiskey, and brandy used for comparison contained the 2 major constituents, ethanol and water. In addition, the country-made alcoholic products contained a higher level of by-products including long-chain alcohols (eg, butanol, propanol), aldehydes (eg, acetaldehyde), acids (eg, acetic acid), and even traces of methanol.


CONCLUSIONS
Country-made alcoholic products contain many compounds in addition to ethanol. Given the high incidence of alcohol-related AP in the population where these products are consumed, further evaluation of their constituents in relation to the induction of pancreatic damage is warranted.
Barreto
Savio G
SG
Department of General and Digestive Surgery, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Flinders Medical Centre and Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. barr0264@flinders.edu.au
Jardine
Daniel
D
Phillips
Phoebe
P
Bhatia
Madhav
M
Saccone
Gino T P
GT
D000433:1-Propanol / Q000032:analysis; D019342:Acetic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D000208:Acute Disease; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis*; D000447:Aldehydes / Q000032:analysis; D000440:Butanols / Q000032:analysis; D000431:Ethanol / Q000032:analysis; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D000432:Methanol / Q000032:analysis; D019512:Pancreatitis, Alcoholic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000447:Aldehydes; D000440:Butanols; D000431:Ethanol; D000433:1-Propanol; D019342:Acetic Acid; D000432:Methanol