Bacteriostatic Water 0.9% Benzyl Alcohol
10ml / vial
Bacteriostatic water is sterile water containing 0.9% benzyl alcohol as a preservative. It is the standard diluent for reconstituting lyophilised peptides in research settings — the benzyl alcohol inhibits bacterial growth and allows the reconstituted solution to be used across multiple research applications from a single vial.
Bacteriostatic water (BAC water) contains 0.9% benzyl alcohol (w/v) in water for injection. The benzyl alcohol acts as a bacteriostat — it does not sterilise, but inhibits the growth of microorganisms in the solution, preventing contamination of reconstituted peptide preparations across multiple uses. It is distinct from three other common diluents: sterile water (no preservative, single use only), normal saline (0.9% sodium chloride, not compatible with all peptides), and acetic acid water (used for specific peptides like GH). BAC water is the most broadly applicable diluent for lyophilised peptide reconstitution in research.
When added to a lyophilised peptide vial, BAC water dissolves the freeze-dried powder and maintains sterility of the resulting solution through bacteriostatic action. The 0.9% benzyl alcohol concentration is sufficient to inhibit bacterial growth without denaturing peptide structures at standard research concentrations. This allows reconstituted solutions to be stored at 2–8°C and used across multiple research applications from a single vial — unlike sterile water, which should only be used for single-use reconstitution due to contamination risk once opened.
BAC water is a standard laboratory reagent with a well-established safety and stability profile. Its use in peptide reconstitution is documented across the research literature as the preferred diluent for multi-use lyophilised peptide preparations. All Zenic Labs peptides have been formulated for reconstitution with BAC water.