Analysing the effect of sodium bicarbonate and glycine air polishing on tooth surfaces with two different imaging methods.

The aim of this study was to compare two different imaging methods by assessing changes caused by sodium bicarbonate and glycine air polishing on the tooth surfaces. Fourteen single root teeth with exposed root surfaces were included into the study. The teeth were randomly divided into two groups: sodium bicarbonate and glycine group. Samples were scanned in a micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and CAD/CAM (computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing) at baseline and then after air-polishing powder applications, the defect volume values were evaluated. There was a statistically significant difference between mean defect volume values that occurred after glycine and sodium bicarbonate air polishing evaluated with micro-CT and CAD/CAM (p < 0.05). After sodium bicarbonate air polishing, defect volume on enamel surface at maximum power and defect volume on the exposed root surface at medium power values calculated with CAD/CAM were higher. After glycine air polishing, defect volume values on both surfaces at medium power setting calculated with CAD/CAM were lower. Defect volume values on enamel surface at maximum power setting calculated with CAD/CAM were higher than calculated with micro-CT. We concluded that CAD/CAM cannot provide as accurate results as micro-CT. Glycine-based powder is less abrasive than sodium bicarbonate, especially on enamel surface. Lay Description: Micro-CT is a non-destructive imaging method with high resolution and allows to examine all tooth structures individually. CAD/CAM are systems that are widely used in dentistry today. Access to the device is easier than micro-CT. Intraoral scanners in CAD/CAM systems also provide non-destructive image scanning. The aim of this study was to compare two different imaging methods by assessing changes caused by sodium bicarbonate and glycine air polishing on the tooth surfaces. The results showed that because of the analyses made with CAD/CAM, similar results could not be obtained with micro-CT and cannot be used to evaluate the changes that occur after air polishing.

Organic and Inorganic Template-Assisted Synthesis of Silica Nanotubes and Evaluation of Their Properties.

Mesoporous silica network nanotubes were fabricated using both organic and inorganic templates such as citric acid (CA), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), and sodium bicarbonate (SBC). The phase analysis of synthesized silica network was confirmed by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) analysis, and the present functional groups were revealed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and the formation of tubular morphology was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The mesoporous nature of each template sample was studied using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) instrument. The surface area and porous size were calculated successfully for fabricated silica network nanotubes.

The time to peak blood bicarbonate (HCO3-), pH, and the strong ion difference (SID) following sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) ingestion in highly trained adolescent swimmers.

The timing of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) supplementation has been suggested to be most optimal when coincided with a personal time that bicarbonate (HCO3-) or pH peaks in the blood following ingestion. However, the ergogenic mechanisms supporting this ingestion strategy are strongly contested. It is therefore plausible that NaHCO3 may be ergogenic by causing beneficial shifts in the strong ion difference (SID), though the time course of this blood acid base balance variable is yet to be investigated. Twelve highly trained, adolescent swimmers (age: 15.9 ± 1.0 years, body mass: 65.3 ± 9.6 kg) consumed their typical pre-competition nutrition 1-3 hours before ingesting 0.3 g∙kg BM-1 NaHCO3 in gelatine capsules. Capillary blood samples were then taken during seated rest on nine occasions (0, 60, 75, 90, 105, 120, 135, 150, 165 min post-ingestion) to identify the time course changes in HCO3-, pH, and the SID. No significant differences were found in the time to peak of each blood measure (HCO3-: 130 ± 35 min, pH: 120 ± 38 min, SID: 98 ± 37 min; p = 0.08); however, a large effect size was calculated between time to peak HCO3- and the SID (g = 0.88). Considering that a difference between time to peak blood HCO3- and the SID was identified in adolescents, future research should compare the ergogenic effects of these two individualized NaHCO3 ingestion strategies compared to a traditional, standardized approach.

Design, development and optimization of sustained release floating, bioadhesive and swellable matrix tablet of ranitidine hydrochloride.

Ranitidine HCl, a selective, competitive histamine H2-receptor antagonist with a short biological half-life, low bioavailability and narrow absorption window, is an ideal candidate for gastro-retentive drug delivery system (GRDDS). Controlled release with an optimum retentive formulation in the upper stomach would be an ideal formulation for this drug. The aim of the present study was therefore to develop, formulate and optimize floating, bioadhesive, and swellable matrix tablets of ranitidine HCl. The matrix tablets were prepared using a combination of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC) as release retarding polymers, sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) as gas generating agent and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) as direct compression diluent. Central composite design (CCD) was used to optimize the formulation and a total of thirteen formulations were prepared. Concentration of HPMC/NaCMC (3:1) (X1) and NaHCO3 (X2) were selected as independent variables; and floating lag time (Y1), bioadhesive strength (Y2), swelling index at 12 h (Y3), cumulative drug release at 1 h (Y4), time to 50% drug release (t50%) (Y5) and cumulative drug release at 12 h (Y6) were taken as the response variables. The optimized batch showed floating lag time of 5.09 sec, bioadhesive strength of 29.69 g, swelling index of 315.04% at 12 h, t50% of 3.86 h and drug release of 24.21% and 93.65% at 1h and 12 h, respectively, with anomalous release mechanism. The results indicate that sustained release matrix tablet of ranitidine HCl with combined floating, bioadhesive and swelling gastro-retentive properties can be considered as a strategy to overcome the low bioavailability and in vivo variation associated with the conventional ranitidine HCl tablet.

Effect of NaHCO3 and freeze-thaw cycles on frozen dough: From water state, gluten polymerization and microstructure.

This study investigated the influence of NaHCO3 on the water state, gluten polymerization, microstructure and quality of frozen steamed bread dough during freeze-thaw cycles. Results showed that the steamed bread made from alkaline (0.4% NaHCO3) frozen dough possessed a larger specific volume and smaller hardness after 4 freeze-thaw cycles, than the non-alkaline dough group. The addition of NaHCO3 slowed the increase of freezable water content and water mobility of dough during freeze-thaw cycles, and the high amount of NaHCO3 (0.4%-1%) showed the great effect. Compared with non-alkaline dough, the sodium dodecyl sulfate extractable protein proportion and free sulfhydryl level of alkaline dough increased less after freeze-thaw cycles, indicating a strengthened freeze-thaw tolerance of alkaline dough. Based on microstructure image and corresponding protein network analysis (PNA) results, the protein area and total protein length in alkaline dough remained at a higher level than non-alkaline group after 4 freeze-thaw cycles.

Effects of chitosan coating on freeze-drying of blueberry enhanced by ultrasound pre-treatment in sodium bicarbonate medium.

Sodium bicarbonate medium ultrasound pre-treatment can enhance the freeze-drying process of blueberries, but the quality of dried products cannot meet the actual production needs. To yield higher quality products, chitosan coating was applied in blueberry sodium bicarbonate medium ultrasound pre-treatment enhanced freeze-drying process. The improvement effect of different chitosan coating methodologies on the procedure of blueberry freeze-drying, enhanced by ultrasound pre-treatment in sodium bicarbonate medium, was investigated. These include: chitosan solution soaking alone (CH-A), chitosan medium ultrasound treatment (US-CH), first sodium bicarbonate medium ultrasound treatment then chitosan solution soaking (US-NaHCO3 + CH) and first sodium bicarbonate soaking followed by chitosan medium ultrasound treatment (NaHCO3 + US-CH). While the treatments that presoaking in sodium bicarbonate solution (NaHCO3-A), water medium ultrasound treatment (US-W) and sodium bicarbonate medium ultrasound treatment (US-NaHCO3) were used as the control groups. Results demonstrated that ultrasound treatment and sodium bicarbonate soaking have positive effect on improving the freeze-drying characteristics of blueberries, while chitosan coating has a negative effect. Chitosan coating has a significant effect on strengthening limit effect of blueberry skin on juice overflow and weakening moisture absorption capacity of dried blueberry. US-NaHCO3 + CH pretreatment yielded the best results for blueberry freeze-drying.

Reduction of Ochratoxin A during the Preparation of Porridge with Sodium Bicarbonate and Fructose.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a potential human carcinogen that poses a significant concern in food safety and public health. OTA has been found in a wide variety of agricultural commodities, including cereal grains. This study investigated the reduction of OTA during the preparation of rice- and oat-based porridge by a simulated indirect steam process. The effects of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) and fructose on the reduction of OTA were also investigated. During the processing, OTA in rice- and oat-porridge was decreased by 59% and 14%, respectively, from initial OTA artificially added at 20 µg/kg (dry weight basis). When 0.5% and 1% of sodium bicarbonate were added to rice porridge, increased reduction of OTA was observed as 78% and 68%, respectively. The same amounts of added sodium bicarbonate also further reduced OTA in oat porridge to 58% and 72%, respectively. In addition, increased reduction of OTA in the presence of fructose was observed. A combination of the two, i.e., 0.5% sodium bicarbonate and 0.5% fructose, resulted in a 79% and 67% reduction in rice porridge and oat porridge, respectively. These results indicate that indirect steaming may effectively reduce OTA in preparation of porridge-type products, particularly when sodium bicarbonate and/or fructose are added.

Effect of sodium bicarbonate and sodium chloride on aggregation and conformation of pork myofibrillar protein.

To investigate the effect of sodium bicarbonate instead of sodium chloride, the changes in pH, turbidity, aggregation, and conformation of myofibrillar protein solution with various amounts of sodium chloride and sodium bicarbonate were studied. When the sodium bicarbonate was increased from 0% to 0.4%, accompanied by the sodium chloride being decreased from 2.0% to 0.8%, the pH increased about 1.20 unites; the absolute values of the Zeta potential, active sulfhydryl, and surface hydrophobicity increased significantly (p < 0.05); and the turbidity, particle size, and Ca2+-ATPase activity decreased significantly (p < 0.05). In addition, the Mg2+-ATPase activity was not significantly different (p > 0.05) when increasing sodium bicarbonate, implying that sodium bicarbonate did not affect the actin. Overall, the results indicated that an increase in sodium bicarbonate could improve solubility, expose more hydrophobic residues and sulfhydryl groups, and induce Ca2+-ATPase inactivation and protein unfolding, leading the myofibrillar protein to denaturation easily.

Multifunctional Microspheres Dual-Loaded with Doxorubicin and Sodium Bicarbonate Nanoparticles to Introduce Synergistic Trimodal Interventional Therapy.

Lactic acid in the tumor microenvironment is highly correlated with the prognosis of tumor chemoembolization, but there are limited clinical strategies to deal with it. To improve the efficacy, NaHCO3 nanoparticles are innovatively introduced into drug-loaded microspheres to neutralize lactic acid in the tumor microenvironment. Here we showed that multifunctional ethyl cellulose microspheres dual-loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) and NaHCO3 nanoparticles (DOX/NaHCO3-MS) presented excellent antitumor effects by improving the pH of the tumor microenvironment. The homeostasis of the tumor microenvironment was continuously disturbed due to the sustained release of NaHCO3 nanoparticles, which also led to a significant increase in tumor cell apoptosis (compared with the control and DOX-MS groups). We also showed that the administration of DOX/NaHCO3-MS via the hepatic artery in a rabbit model of VX2 orthotopic liver cancer resulted in optimal antitumor efficacy, and the area of tumor necrosis at the embolization site was significantly increased and the proliferation of tumor cells was significantly weakened. The designed DOX/NaHCO3-MS exhibited strong synergistic antitumor effects of embolization, chemotherapy, and tumor microenvironment improvement. The present microspheres provided a strategy for the enhancement of the chemoembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma, which could also be extended to other clinical embolization treatments for blood-rich solid tumors.

Superabsorbent crosslinked bacterial cellulose biomaterials for chronic wound dressings.

In this work, we present a novel ex situ modification of bacterial cellulose (BC) polymer, that significantly improves its ability to absorb water after drying. The method involves a single inexpensive and easy-to-perform process of BC crosslinking, using citric acid along with catalysts, such as disodium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, ammonium bicarbonate or their mixtures. In particular, the mixture of disodium phosphate and sodium bicarbonate was the most promising, yielding significantly greater water capacity (over 5 times higher as compared to the unmodified BC) and slower water release (over 6 times as compared to the unmodified BC). Further, our optimized crosslinked BC had over 1.5x higher water capacity than modern commercial dressings dedicated to highly exuding wounds, while exhibiting no cytotoxic effects against fibroblast cell line L929 in vitro. Therefore, our novel BC biomaterial may find application in super-absorbent dressings, designed for chronic wounds with imbalanced moisture level.

High-throughput metabolomics method based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry: Insights into the underlying mechanisms of salinity-alkalinity exposure-induced metabolites changes in Barbus capito.

It is critical to investigate the adaptive development and the physiological mechanism of fish in external stimulation. In this study, the response of Barbus capito to salinity-alkalinity exposure was explored by high-throughput nontargeted and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics to investigate metabolic biomarker and pathway changes. Meanwhile, the biochemical indexes of Barbus capito were measured to discover the chronic impairment response to salinity-alkalinity exposures. A total of 29 tissue metabolites were determined to deciphering the endogenous metabolic changes of fishes during the different concentration salinity-alkalinity exposures environment, which were mainly involved in the key metabolism including the phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis, arachidonic acid metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, citrate cycle, and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Finally, we found the amino acid metabolism as key target was associated with the endogenous metabolites and metabolic pathways of Barbus capito to salinity-alkalinity exposures. In conclusion, metabolomics is a potentially powerful tool to reveal the mechanism information of fish in various exposure environments.

The implications of variations in nasal irrigation recipes in the United Kingdom.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the variations in publicly available nasal irrigation recipes published in the United Kingdom (UK). DESIGN: Internet searches used to identify eligible nasal irrigation recipes. These were then examined for their physical and biochemical properties, through theoretical calculations and experimental measurement. SETTING: Recipes produced by healthcare providers or official national bodies in the UK. PARTICIPANTS: No human participants. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Solution osmolality (classified into hypo-, iso- and hypertonic), acidity (pH) and specific gravity. RESULTS: Thirteen unique recipes were identified from 17 sources. Osmolality ranged from 166.2 to 1492.2 mosmol/kg in volumes ranging from 142 to 1136 mLs (isotonic range 275-295 mosmol/kg). Specific gravity ranged from 1.006 to 1.034. pH ranged from 7.74 to 8.11. No recipe produced a solution with isotonic properties. The majority produced hypertonic irrigations. CONCLUSIONS: Most publicly available nasal irrigation recipes produce hypertonic solutions but there is great variability in the osmolality and volume. UK organisations should take action to review published recipes to bring these into alignment with latest guidelines (recommending against hypertonic saline use) and reduce variability in patient interpretations.

A near-infrared spectroscopy-based end-point determination method for the blending process of Dahuang soda tablets.

OBJECTIVES: This study is aimed to explore the blending process of Dahuang soda tablets. These are composed of two active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs, emodin and emodin methyl ether) and four kinds of excipients (sodium bicarbonate, starch, sucrose, and magnesium stearate). Also, the objective is to develop a more robust model to determine the blending end-point. METHODS: Qualitative and quantitative methods based on near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy were established to monitor the homogeneity of the powder during the blending process. A calibration set consisting of samples from 15 batches was used to develop two types of calibration models with the partial least squares regression (PLSR) method to explore the influence of density on the model robustness. The principal component analysis-moving block standard deviation (PCA-MBSD) method was used for the end-point determination of the blending with the process spectra. RESULTS: The model with different densities showed better prediction performance and robustness than the model with fixed powder density. In addition, the blending end-points of APIs and excipients were inconsistent because of the differences in the physical properties and chemical contents among the materials of the design batches. For the complex systems of multi-components, using the PCA-MBSD method to determine the blending end-point of each component is difficult. In these conditions, a quantitative method is a more suitable alternative. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that the effect of density plays an important role in improving the performance of the model, and a robust modeling method has been developed.

The effect of concentration, reconstitution solution and pH on the stability of a remifentanil hydrochloride and propofol admixture for simultaneous co-infusion.

BACKGROUND: There are scenarios where pre-mixing and infusing analgesic and anaesthetic agents as a single intravenous (IV) solution is highly desirable; however, it is important to ensure the agents are compatible when mixed. As such, the long-term stability of a remifentanil-propofol mixture, and means of improving this, were assessed across a range of remifentanil concentrations, diluents, and time points. METHODS: Remifentanil was reconstituted with ultrapure water, 0.9% saline, 20% saline, or 8.4% sodium bicarbonate solution (the latter two chosen for their pH characteristics, rather than their use in pharmaceutical reconstitution) and then mixed with propofol (1%) or further diluted with water to derive concentrations of 10-50 µg mL- 1. Remifentanil and propofol concentrations were determined initially and then periodically for up to 24 h using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Mass spectrometry (MS) was used to detect degradation products in solutions containing 30 µg mL- 1 of remifentanil. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA and Student's t-test, with a significance value of 0.05. RESULTS: Isolated remifentanil (pH < 4) and propofol (pH 7.35) did not degrade significantly when reconstituted with water or saline solution over 24 h, while remifentanil reconstituted with sodium bicarbonate degraded significantly (P < 0.001, pH 8.65). Mixing with propofol substantially increased the pH of the mixture and resulted in significant remifentanil degradation for all reconstitution solutions used, while propofol remained stable (pH 6.50). The amount of degradation product detected in samples containing isolated remifentanil and a mixture of the drugs was proportional to the remifentanil degradation observed. CONCLUSIONS: Remifentanil stability is affected by both the reconstitution solution used and when mixed with propofol, with pH appearing to be a contributing factor to degradation. If the pH of the solution and concentration of remifentanil are correctly controlled, e.g. through the use of a more acidic diluent, an admixture of remifentanil and propofol may be useful clinically.

Smart Nanosacrificial Layer on the Bone Surface Prevents Osteoporosis through Acid-Base Neutralization Regulated Biocascade Effects.

Osteoporosis is a global chronic disease characterized by severe bone loss and high susceptibility to fragile fracture. It is widely accepted that the origin acidified microenvironment created by excessive osteoclasts causes irreversible bone mineral dissolution and organic degradation during osteoclastic resorption. However, current clinically available approaches are mainly developed from the perspective of osteoclast biology rather than the critical acidified niche. Here, we developed a smart "nanosacrificial layer" consisting of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3)-containing and tetracycline-functionalized nanoliposomes (NaHCO3-TNLs) that can target bone surfaces and respond to external secreted acidification from osteoclasts, preventing osteoporosis. In vitro and in vivo results prove that this nanosacrificial layer precisely inhibits the initial acidification of osteoclasts and initiates a chemically regulated biocascade to remodel the bone microenvironment and realize bone protection: extracellular acid-base neutralization first inhibits osteoclast function and also promotes its apoptosis, in which the apoptosis-derived extracellular vesicles containing RANK (receptor activator of nuclear factor-κ B) further consume RANKL (RANK ligand) in serum, achieving comprehensive osteoclast inhibition. Our therapeutic strategy for osteoporosis is based on original and precise acid-base neutralization, aiming to reestablish bone homeostasis by using a smart nanosacrificial layer that is able to induce chemically regulated biocascade effects. This study also provides a novel understanding of osteoporosis therapy in biomedicine and clinical treatments.

High-precision measurement of pH in the full toothpaste using NMR chemical shift.

The pH of toothpaste is a critical factor for product stability and customer acceptance. However, no reliable and consistent method is currently available to precisely quantify pH in toothpaste as it is. In this study, a new method to directly determine pH value in the full toothpaste contained sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) was developed. Briefly, we utilized the 13C NMR chemical shift of a small molecule that has been formulated in the toothpaste as a sensitive probe to consistently respond to the pH value of the full toothpaste. The ideal pH probe molecule has the following characteristics: (1) its NMR chemical shift is sensitive to pH within a certain range, and (2) the chemical shift only responses to pH value, not to other factors, such as molecular interaction. NaHCO3 is a common ingredient in many toothpaste products used as a mild abrasive and an effective pH adjustment compound. Its chemical shift is very sensitive to pH; therefore, it was used as a candidate molecule to test this concept. This technique was demonstrated on select toothpaste formula contained arginine and sodium bicarbonate with different abrasive bases. The result shows that the pH value of full toothpaste is significantly higher than the pH of the toothpaste slurry. Arginine is a key active ingredient in these toothpastes, and it does not interfere with the chemical shift of sodium bicarbonate. The traditional method to determine the pH of toothpaste using pH electrode in toothpaste slurry typically has a larger measuring error, ranging from 0.1 to 0.3. This new method greatly reduced the measuring error, providing a consistent way to reliably determine pH in the full toothpaste, and enabling the stability test of toothpaste with smaller variations. This newly developed method can be further extended to other low-water gel or paste products at a different pH range by using different probe molecules.

Generation of High Dose Inhalable Effervescent Dispersions against Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms.

PURPOSE: Novel particle engineering approach was used in this study to generate high dose inhalable effervescent particles with synergistic effects against Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. METHODS: Spray dried co-amorphous salt of ciprofloxacin (CFX) and tartaric acid (TA) was prepared and coated with external layer of sodium bicarbonate and silica coated silver nanobeads. Design of experiments (DOE) was used to optimize physicochemical properties of particles for enhanced lung deposition. RESULTS: Generated particles were co-amorphous CFX/TA showing that CFX lost its zwitterionic form and exhibiting distinct properties to CFX/HCl as assessed by FTIR and thermal analysis. Particles exhibited mass mean aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 3.3 µm, emitted dose of 78% and fine particle dose of 85%. Particles were further evaluated via antimicrobial assessment of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC). MIC and MBEC results showed that the hybrid particles were around 3-5 times more effective when compared to CFX signifying that synergistic effect was achieved. Diffusing wave spectroscopy results showed that the silver containing particles had a disruptive effect on rheological properties as opposed to silver free particles. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, these results showed the potential to use particle engineering to generate particles that are highly disruptive of bacterial biofilms.

An effective method to produce 7-epitaxol from taxol in HCO3.

It is known that 7-epitaxol has much stronger cytotoxicity than taxol does. However, the content of 7-epitaxol in yew is much less than taxol, which makes it more costly to obtain. We describe here a method to effectively convert taxol to 7-epitaxol. The key condition for reaction needs NaHCO3 in solvent acetonitrile (ACN). The conversion rate can be over 82%.

Instant tough bioadhesive with triggerable benign detachment.

Bioadhesives such as tissue adhesives, hemostatic agents, and tissue sealants have potential advantages over sutures and staples for wound closure, hemostasis, and integration of implantable devices onto wet tissues. However, existing bioadhesives display several limitations including slow adhesion formation, weak bonding, low biocompatibility, poor mechanical match with tissues, and/or lack of triggerable benign detachment. Here, we report a bioadhesive that can form instant tough adhesion on various wet dynamic tissues and can be benignly detached from the adhered tissues on demand with a biocompatible triggering solution. The adhesion of the bioadhesive relies on the removal of interfacial water from the tissue surface, followed by physical and covalent cross-linking with the tissue surface. The triggerable detachment of the bioadhesive results from the cleavage of bioadhesive's cross-links with the tissue surface by the triggering solution. After it is adhered to wet tissues, the bioadhesive becomes a tough hydrogel with mechanical compliance and stretchability comparable with those of soft tissues. We validate in vivo biocompatibility of the bioadhesive and the triggering solution in a rat model and demonstrate potential applications of the bioadhesive with triggerable benign detachment in ex vivo porcine models.

Is ancestry, not natron, an explanation for fair haired children in Greco-Roman Egypt?

In an examination of three unwrapped mummified children from the Graeco-Roman Period of ancient Egypt there was an unexpected finding of fair hair. In the majority of unwrapped ancient Egyptian mummified bodies the hair was not fair but rather dark brown or black. To determine if exposure to natron during the mummification process was responsible for the fair hair color an experiment was carried out to partially replicate the environment in which bodies were desiccated. Fourteen samples of modern hair from various age groups, sex and ethnicity were subjected to synthetic natron for a period of 40 days to replicate the time taken to mummify a body. Macroscopic and microscopic examinations of samples were employed to ascertain any significant changes in hair color after treatment. Ancient wigs were studied for evidence of post mortem changes to hair color since construction over 2,000 years ago. Results of the study showed no significant lightening of hair color and in several samples the hair significantly darkened as the result of exposure to the natron. There was not any evidence that hair lightened as the result of natural post mortem changes and this was confirmed by the study of the natural hair wigs that had not changed color post mortem. This study concluded that the fair hair observed in the three child mummies was not the result of exposure to natron or post mortem changes but rather it was probably due to ancestry because of the presence of diverse genomes that were introduced into ancient Egypt during the Greco-Roman Period.