What is the Difference Between Thiamine Mononitrate and Thiamine Hydrochloride?

🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚

Thiamine mononitrate and thiamine hydrochloride are both sources of thiamine (vitamin B1), but they have some differences in their properties and uses:

  1. Hygroscopic properties: Thiamine hydrochloride is hygroscopic (water-absorbing), while thiamine mononitrate has almost no hygroscopic properties. This makes thiamine mononitrate more stable in fortified flours and cereals.
  2. Stability: Thiamine mononitrate is more stable than thiamine hydrochloride.
  3. Preparation: Thiamine mononitrate is prepared from thiamine hydrochloride by removing the chloride ion and mixing the resulting mixture.
  4. Molecular Weight: Thiamine mononitrate has a molecular weight of 327.36, while thiamine hydrochloride's molecular weight is not provided in the search results.
  5. Purity Criteria: Thiamine mononitrate has a purity criteria of >97%, while thiamine hydrochloride has a purity criteria of >93.5%.

Both thiamine mononitrate and thiamine hydrochloride are used to enrich and fortify food products, as well as in the pharmaceutical industry to fight against beriberi, general malnutrition, and malabsorption. However, due to its stability and lack of hygroscopic properties, thiamine mononitrate is more commonly used in food fortification.

Comparative Table: Thiamine Mononitrate vs Thiamine Hydrochloride

Thiamine mononitrate and thiamine hydrochloride are both derivatives of vitamin B1, but they have some differences in their properties and uses. Here is a table comparing the two:

Property Thiamine Mononitrate Thiamine Hydrochloride
Chemical Formula C12H17N5O4S HC12H17ON4SCl2
Molar Mass 327.36 g/mol 337.263 g/mol
Hygroscopy Non-hygroscopic Hygroscopic
Melting Point 198°C 248-250°C
Density 0.35 g/mL 0.4 g/mL
Stability More stable Less stable
Food Fortification Yes (used for food fortification) No (not used for food fortification)
Source Prepared from Thiamine hydrochloride by removing chloride ion Obtained by the use of an ion exchange resin from Thiamine sulfate

Thiamine mononitrate is a non-hygroscopic, stable nitrate salt form of vitamin B1, while thiamine hydrochloride is vitamin B1 hydrochloride. Thiamine mononitrate is more stable than thiamine hydrochloride and is used for food fortification due to its non-hygroscopic properties. On the other hand, thiamine hydrochloride is hygroscopic and less stable, making it unsuitable for food fortification.