Properties of Dental Plaque Biofilm

Properties of Dental Plaque Biofilm The dental plaque is a complex, metabolically interconnected, highly organized microbial ecosystem. Dental plaque has an open structure due to the presence of channels and voids. It provides Protection from host defenses, desiccation etc. by production of extracellular polymers to form a functional matrix.1 Dental plaque is a microbial biofilm. Biofilms are defined as â€Å"matrix–enclosed bacterial population’s adherent to each other and/or to surface or interfaces†.2Biofilms are surface-associated communities of microorganisms embedded in an extracellular polymeric substance, which upon contact with the host may affect tissue haemostasis and result in disease.3 Periodontitis and caries are infectious diseases of the oral cavity in which oral biofilms play a causative role. The presence of micro-organisms in the oral cavity and their virulence decide the occurrence of a particular disease.4 The three main hypothesis that explain the disease occurrence in oral cavity Specific plaque hypothesis(Loesche 1976): In contrast to the above, this suggests the importance of individual bacterial species within dental plaque as causative of disease5 Non-specific plaque hypothesis (Theilade E 1986): The bacterial dental plaque that accumulates around teeth is a relatively homogenous mass that causes periodontal disease when it accumulates to the point of over whelming the hosts defense mechanism.6 Ecologic plaque hypothesis (PD Marsh 1989): Based on the theory that unique local environment influences the composition of oral micro flora and any disturbance in this balance may lead to increase in pathogenic micro flora over harmless normal oral micro flora.7 Chronic periodontitis is the most common form of periodontitis causing bone loss and attachment loss. This disease has a slow progression and is more prevalent in adults.8,9 Calculus and bacterial plaque are among the etiologic factors; thus, treatment is mainly comprised of removal of supra- and sub-gingival calculus to reduce bacterial content. However, despite this treatment, progressive attachment loss continues in some patients indicating that mechanical treatment is not successful in reducing some periodontal pathogens. Therefore, antibiotic therapy is recommended to reduce the number of these resistant pathogens.8,10 Factors that may contribute to the higher drug resistance in microbial biofilms include Altered metabolism Extracellular polymeric substance Proteomic regulation Genomic regulation Persister cells Stress response Periodontal disease is one of the most common microbial infections in adults. It is an inflammatory disease of bacterial origin that affects the tooth-supporting tissues. There are two major types of periodontal disease: gingivitis and periodontitis. Gingivitis involves a limited inflammation of the unattached gingiva, and is a relatively common and reversible condition. In contrast, periodontitis is characterized by general inflammation of the periodontal tissues, which leads to the apical migration of the junctional epithelium along the root surface and progressive destruction of the periodontal ligament and the alveolar bone (11). Periodontitis progresses in cyclical phases of exacerbation, remission and latency, a phenomenon that is closely linked to the effectiveness of the host immune response. Experts now distinguish among generalized and localized chronic periodontitis, generalized and localized aggressive periodontitis (AP), periodontitis associated with systemic diseases, periodontitis associated with endodontic lesions and necrotizing ulcerative periodontitis (12). Of these, chronic periodontitis is the most frequently encountered in the adult population. In addition, certain conditions may be predisposing or aggravating factors for periodontitis, including accumulation of subgingival plaque, smoking and conditions associated with some immune disorder (e.g., diabetes mellitus, AIDS) (13). More than 500 microbial species have been identified in subgingival plaque, which can thus be considered to represent a complex ecological niche (14). Under the influence of local and systemic factors, some of these bacterial species in the subgingival dental biofilm constitute the primary etiologic agents of periodontal disease. Among these species, the most important are Aggregatiba cter actinomycetemcomitans (A.a.), Porphyromonas gingivalis (P.g.), Tannerella forsythia (T.f.), Treponema denticola (T.d.), Fusobacterium nucleatum (F.n.), Prevotella intermedia (P.i.), Campylobacter rectus (C.r.), and Eikenella corrodens (E.c.) (15,16). Although A. actinomycetemcomitans is associated with localized aggressive periodontitis, P. gingivalis is considered the major etiologic agent of chronic periodontitis (15,17). Although the presence of periodontal pathogens is essential for the onset of periodontitis, these organisms are not sufficient for the disease to progress. In fact, the host immune response modulates progression of the disease toward destruction or healing (18). However, overproduction of certain mediators, such as interleukin-1ÃŽ ², tumor necrosis factor alpha and prostaglandins, lead to the chronic, persistent inflammation which is in the origin of tissue destruction (19,20). In fact, these mediators can activate one or more tissue degradation factors, not ably matrix metalloproteinases, plasminogen and polymorphonuclear serine proteases, which cause bone resorption (21,22). Mechanical debridement of the dental biofilm and elimination of local irritating factors are the basis of initial periodontal therapies. Longitudinal studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach, which is based on scaling and root planing, reinforcement of the patient oral hygiene practices and regular follow-up to eliminate new deposits (23,24). The effectiveness of this treatment is reflected by the disappearance of clinical symptoms, reduction or elimination of periodontal pathogens and regeneration of beneficial bacterial flora. Not all patients or all sites respond uniformly and favorably to conventional mechanical therapy. Given the infectious nature of periodontal disease and the limited results that can be achieved with conventional mechanical therapies, the use of antibiotics is warranted for certain forms of periodontitis. RATIONALE FOR THE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS The academic argument over the importance of a specific or non-specific bacterial etiology for periodontal diseases may never be totally resolved. However, there is little doubt that certain specific organisms are closely associated with some forms of periodontal disease (6). Unlike the majority of general infections, all the suspected periodontal pathogens are indigenous to the oral flora (25,26). Consequently, the long-term and total elimination of these organisms with antibiotics will be very difficult to achieve as immediate repopulation with the indigenous bacteria will occur when the therapy is completed (27). Nevertheless, in certain forms of periodontitis the loss of connective tissue attachment is rapid. Extremely virulent, gram negative organisms populate the deep pockets, and bacteria can actually invade the connective tissue (28,29). Under these circumstances, antibiotics provide a useful adjunct to root planing, which by itself may not remove all subgingival deposits an d certainly would not affect any invading organisms that had already penetrated the soft tissue. Ideal properties of antibiotic Unique target Narrow spectrum-kills only selective pathogen, not normal microbiota High therapeutic index-ratio of toxic level to therapeutic level No/fewer reactions Various routes of administration- IV, IM, oral Good pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics properties E.g. good absorption, good distribution to the site of infection No resistance/ slower emergence of resistance Common antibiotics for periodontitis Antibiotic Dosage Metronidazole 500 mg/t.i.d/8 days Clindamycin 300 mg//t.i.d./8 days Doxycycline/Minocycline 100-200 mg/q.d./21 days Ciprofloxacin 500 mg/b.i.d/8 days Azithromycin 500 mg/q.d./4-7 days Metronidazole+ amoxicillin 250 mg/t.i.d./8 days (each drug) Metronidazole+ ciprofloxacin 500/b.i.d./8 days (each drug) Antibiotics are classified based on their mechanism of action, as follows:31 Agents that inhibit synthesis of bacterial cell walls (e.g. penicillins and cephalosporins); Agents that interfere with the cell membrane of the microorganism, affecting permeability ( e.g. some antifungal agents); Agents that inhibit protein synthesis by affecting the function of 30S or 50S ribosomal subunits (e.g. tetracyclines, macrolides and clindamycin); Agents that block important metabolic steps of the microorganisms (e.g. sulfonamides and  trimethoprim); Agents that interfere with nucleic acid synthesis (e.g. metronidazole and quinolones). CHOICE OF SYSTEMIC ANTIBIOTIC – WHICH ANTIBIOTIC IS THE BEST TO USE? Therapeutic success of an antimicrobial depends on the activity of the antimicrobial agent against the infecting organisms. Periodontitis is a mixed microbial infection making the choice of antibiotic regimen difficult. Certain antibiotics target specific parts of the subgingival biofilm. For example, metronidazole targets the gram-negative strict anaerobes from the red and orange Socransky complexes 40,41 such as Fusobacterium nucleatum, Tanerella forsythia, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola, while members of the genera Actinomyces, Streptococcus and Capnocytophaga are minimally affected by metronidazole. Metronidazole also has a limited effect on the species Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, which is a facultative anaerobe rather than a strict anaerobe. Amoxicillin has a broader spectrum lowering counts of gram negative anaerobes as well as decreasing the counts and proportions of Actinomyces species during and after antibiotic therapy.40,42 Micro-organisms can be intrinsically resistant to antimicrobials or can develop acquired resistance by emergence of resistant strains of bacteria that would otherwise be considered to be sensitive to the antimicrobial. The literature reports a wide range of antibiotics used in conjunction with non-surgical and surgical mechanical debridement for the treatment of both chronic and aggressive periodontitis. The most commonly used antibiotics include tetracyclines, penicillins (amoxicillin), metronidazole, macrolides (spiramycin, erythromycin, azithromycin), clindamycin and ciprofloxacin. The most common combination antibiotic regimen reported is metronidazole and amoxicillin combined. What is the ideal duration, dosage and timing of the antibiotic? The dosage and duration of the antibiotic prescribed also varies widely among studies and there is no consensus on the ideal regimen. In principle it is important to prescribe an antibiotic in sufficient dose for adequate duration. Another important clinical question is when to start the antibiotics in relation to the mechanical phase of treatment. Indirect evidence suggests that antibiotic intake should start on the day of debridement completion and debridement should be completed within a short period of time ( How critical is patient compliance when using adjunctive antibiotics? The issue of patient compliance has been infrequently addressed in publications evaluating the effects of systemic antibiotics. Some studies have shown that as little as 20 per cent of patients comply with antibiotic regimens prescribed.40,44 One advantage of the antibiotic azithromycin may be that due to its pharmacologic properties and long half life, only one tablet (500 mg) per day during three consecutive days is required as opposed to one tablet three times a day for seven days with other antibiotic regimens.40,45 Compliance in terms of oral hygiene and maintenance care should also be addressed. It should be recognized that in studies where beneficial results following adjunctive antibiotics were reported, patients had received maintenance care and had good plaque control. If a patient was non-compliant with oral hygiene measures and maintenance protocols, then a favourable treatment outcome following adjunctive antibiotics was unlikely. Prescription of antibiotics is no substi tute for adequate debridement, good oral hygiene and regular maintenance care. What are the common side effects following systemic antibiotics? Within the literature there is a general lack of reporting on the presence or absence of adverse events following the adjunctive use of systemic antibiotics. Most adverse effects, which have been reported, are minor and related to gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhoea and nausea. However, serious adverse events such as allergic and anaphlyactic reaction and pseudomembranous colitis, may occur and patients should be informed of the potential for adverse events both minor and major when prescribing systemic antibiotics. Anaphylactic responses to penicillin occur approximately once every 10 000 courses administered, with 10 per cent of these being fatal.40,46 The use of antibiotics should be carefully considered choosing agents that maximize antimicrobial activity and minimize potential drug interactions and adverse reactions. A thorough medical history should be taken prior to antibiotic prescription. An increase in microbial resistance following the use of systemic antibiotics h as been evaluated in few studies. Feres et al.47 identified antibiotic-resistant species in subgingival plaque and saliva samples from chronic periodontitis patients treated by scaling and root planing followed by orally administered amoxicillin or metronidazole. There was an increase in the percentage of resistant subgingival species following antibiotic administration. However, levels returned to baseline after a relatively short period of time (90 days). In Spain, where systemic antibiotics are readily available over the counter without prescription and widely used in the general population, it has been shown that there was an increase in the microbial resistance patterns of oral bacteria to commonly prescribed antibiotics compared to the Netherlands where antibiotics use is more restricted.48 This underlines the importance of development of microbial resistance to antibiotics and the importance of responsible use to prevent the global spread of resistant strains of bacteria. CONTRAINDICATIONS AND UNWANTED EFFECTS Antibiotics are amongst the most widely prescribed pharmaceutical agents in modern medicine. Although only a small number of these drugs have been used in the treatment of periodontal diseases, it is essential that the main contraindications for their use and their possible unwanted effects are known to the periodontist. Generally, the contraindications for use are related to the impaired metabolism and excretion of the drugs. Consequently, disease or impaired function of the hepatic or renal tracts should warrant caution in prescribing systemic antibiotics. When penicillins are prescribed it is vitally important to determine whether or not there is a history of hypersensitivity to the drug. The unwanted effects of penicillin are often mild and characterized by rashes, urticaria, joint pains, and dermatitis, although severe anaphylactic reactions have been reported and can be fatal. David herrera 43 concluded in his systematic review that If systemic antimicrobials are indicated as part of periodontal therapy, they should be adjunctive to mechanical debridement. Lack of data prevents us from making any conclusion regarding the preferred type of adjunctive debridement (non-surgical versus surgical). Furthermore, there is not enough evidence to support the use of adjunctive systemic antimicrobials with periodontal surgery. There is no direct evidence to recommend a specific protocol for the use of adjunctive systemic antimicrobials with non-surgical mechanical debridement. However, indirect evidence suggests that antibiotic intake should start on the day of debridement completion; debridement should be completed within a short time (preferably Antimicrobial resistance in biofilms Antimicrobial resistance can be classified into 3 groups: intrinsic, mutational and acquired resistance.31-33 Intrinsic resistance refers to an inherent resistance to an antibiotic that is a naturally occurring feature of the microorganism. Mutational resistance occurs due to a spontaneous chromosomal mutation that produces a genetically-altered bacterial population that is resistant to the drug. Mutations resulting from the change of a single nucleotide base can result in resistance, as has been well documented for aminoglycosides and for rifampin.31,32 Finally, acquired resistance refers to the horizontal acquisition from another microorganism of a genetic element that encodes antibiotic resistance. This process can occur by transduction, transformation or conjugation. Transduction is a process by which exogenous DNA is transferred from one bacterium to another by the intervention of a bacteriophage, while transformation is the process by which bacteria acquire segments of DNA that are free in the environment. In conjugation the passage of genetic material occurs by direct cell-to-cell contact, through a sex pilus or bridge. This is the most common mechanism of transferring antibiotic resistance genes. 31-33 In general, bacteria use 3 main strategies to become resistant to different antibiotics: (a) preventing the drug from reaching its target 34,35 (b) altering the target 36,37 and (c) inactivating the antibiotic 38,39 Various mechanisms to account for the increased resistances to antimicrobials in biofilms have been postulated. Several of these mechanisms seem to occur in conjunction with the final stages of biofilm maturation .49,50 Reduced penetration into the biofilm may result in antibiotic inactivation because of secretion of certain enzymes, such as ÃŽ ²-lactamases, or binding of the agent by the exopolysaccharide matrix. The exopolysaccharide could inhibit antimicrobial penetration by either binding the antimicrobial 49, 51,52 or serving as a protective coating that prevents or delays diffusion through the biofilm .53,54 The complex heterogeneity within biofilms is evidenced by studies analyzing different microenvironments throughout the biofilm that differ in metabolic activity55, pH , and oxygen distribution56. The ‘biofilm phenotype’ is a collective term used to describe a biologically programmed response to growth on a surface that involves specific physiologies and pattern s of protein and gene expression that are quite different from those of planktonic cells 57,58 and have been linked to aspects of antimicrobial resistance (57,59,60). Increased resistance to antimicrobials is likely a combination of all of these mechanisms and may involve many, if not all, of these factors working together in unison as the biofilm matures.

Corporate Social Responsibilities Essay

An obligation, beyond that required by the law and economics, for a firm to pursue long term goals that are good for society. The continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as that of the local community and society at large. About how a company manages its business process to produce an overall positive impact on society. About the company Cadbury is the world fourth biggest manufacturer of chocolates. Cadbury is a global confectionery and beverage manufacturer having its presence in more than 200 countries worldwide. The company started its operations in India in 1948 and is the leading manufacturer with 70% volume share of the chocolate market. In India, Cadbury began its operation in 1948 by importing chocolates. The company is also a key player in malted food drinks and sugar confectionery. The company after becoming a founder member of BCF embarked upon social and community development initiatives and attaches a lot of importance to social development initiatives. Core purpose â€Å"creating brands people love† Cadbury Products The market major of Chocolates offers the following products in the market:- Chocolates like Cadbury dairy milk, perk, celebrations, temptations, five star, eclairs, gems, fruit & nut, Cadbury crackle and many more†¦.. Snacks like Cadbury bytes Beverages like Bournvita Cadbury delight Candy like Cadbury halls Gums like Bubbaloo Commitment to the environment Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is at the heart of their success. At Cadbury India have always believed that good values and good business go hand in hand. It’s part of their heritage and the way they do things today. CSR is about growing our business responsibly. Migratory birds stop over at Bangalore factory Water is a precious resources. As part of Cadbury India’s effort to continuously increase water conservation Cadbury. Bangalore factory has constructed a check dam to store the rainwater. This dam not only acts as a major ground water replenishing source for the bore wells in the factories and surrounding community, but is also a stopover location for some of the migratory birds. Pioneering cocoa cultivation in India Since 1974 Cadbury has pioneered the development of cocoa cultivation in india. For over two have worked with the Kerala agriculture university to undertake cocoa research and released hybirds that improve the cocoa yield. Cadbury efforts have increased cocoa productivity and touched the lives of thousands of farmers. Commitment to the society The efforts of the Baddi factory team over 50 children of migrant workers living in and around Cadbury Baddi factory will now have daily access to non-formal education. Cadbury has set up a non-formal school as part of Cadbury commitment to create prosperous, inclusive and healthy communities. This is the first phase of project SAHYOG an 18 month project which commenced in January this year in partnership with an NGO RUCHI. The project reaches out to over 400 poor & marginalised families in Sandholi village near Cadbury Baddi factory and apart from education.

Hawaiian Punch Essay

In July 2004, Kate Hoedebeck was promoted to director of marketing for the Hawaiian Punch brand. The CEO of the parent company, Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages, set a goal to create a premier marketing and sales organization that capitalizes on the terrific brand recognition. To reach this goal each brand is required to meet the desires of their customers; bottlers, distributors, retailers, and consumers. When creating the 2005 business marketing plan Kate faced a problem. The Hawaiian Punch brand had two manufacturing, sales, and distrution networks. Her objective was to determine the role each network played in the future sales and profitability of the company. III.Alternate Solutions a. Product Positioning Hawaiian Punch needs to clairify the positioning of its brand. The positioing statement needs to clairify its target markets, and focus on the values of its customers. The majority of the Hawaiian Punch juice drinkers ranged from 6 – 18 years of age. Adolescences purchase the drink most frequently from the soda aisle. Of cosnumers aged 6-12, the majority of the purchases were made in the juice aisle by parental/guardian figures. Including the fun consumption experience, its unique taste, and high viatim C content is the posotion the brand wants to own. To out perform the competitors it is necessary to establish these elements and clearly define where Hawaiian Punch sits. Its more than your normal juice, but healthier than soda. b. Innovations Hawaiian Punch would benefit from launching new sizes and flavors. Retailers believed the potential of market growth hinged on creating new packing and flavors. Hawaiian Punch recently experienced slowed growth due to the decrease in the juice market. Hawaiian Punch maintained market share, and Trade Customers believed the market would rebound. To take advantage of the market portential, Hawaiian Punch should innovate its product size offering. Currently Hawaiian Punch is packaged in 1-gallon bottle, a half-gallon bottle, a 2-liter bottle, a 20-ounce bottle, a 6.75-ounce single serve standup pouch, and 12-ounce cans. According to customer insights, 77% of Hawaiian Punch buyers purchased only size. According to reasearch, 68% of buyers that purchaed the 1-gallon bottle and 53% of buyers that purchased  the half-gallon size were exclusive in their size purchases. The 2-liter and 20-ounce bottle purchasers experienced the least amount of size loyalty. Despite having customer enjoying the different size offerings the numerous amount of sizes caused distribution constraints and shelving issues at numerous locations. By eliminating certain size offerings with low size loyalty and creating new ones while maintaining variety will elliviate contraints and provide new opportunties for customers. The brand would also benefit from new flavor innovation. Hawaiian Punch currently has 11 product flavor offerings. The most popular and original flavor maintains to be fruit Punch. Out of the 11 product offerings there has been a wide variety of success. Hawaiian Punch needs to establish stable products in both their Finished goods and Direct-Store Delivery networks. Products that do not show profitabilty should be elimiated. Introducing new flavors to the Direct-Store Delivery will benefit because of the large market potential and smaller size offerings. c. Allowances and Advertising Hawaiian Punch should increase its advertising budget and allowances for marketing. Currently Hawaiian Punch spends $2.2 Million on advertising a year. This accounts for 1% of advertising by Hawaiian Punch’s competitve juice brands collectively. Their current advertising mix consists of only radio and magazine print ads. The largest amount of advertising dollars spent is in television which currently Hawaiian Punch does not participate. This media outlet accounts for roughly 82% of total media dollars by competitors. Increasing media dollars will help reach new customers, and enforce new flavors to the brand. Of the advertising dollars spent much should be included in recreating the â€Å"Punchy’ Image. Past years have downplayed this aspect of the product brand, but still plays a large part in its recognition. By including Punchy in their advertising they should focus their attention on children between 8-18 years old. Punchys image will play a large role in delivery the benefits of the fruit drink and the position in the market. IV.Selected Solution It is recommended that Hawaiian Punch position their brand and maximize profit by increasing advertising and innovating their products. Having Dual distribution networks it is necessary to establish market segments. The  Finished Goods Network buyer is mainly mothers/guardians. This segment presents the largest amount of repurchasing and brand loyalty. Focusing advertising on the energic times and healthy benefits will persuade mothers ino purchasing the drink because it offers V.Conclusions Entering into a licensing agreement is not a good decision in the European market, the three year agreement is too short and more importantly Baxton is allowing too much of the revenue to go to Bar Maisse, they need an arrangement where they receive a larger portion of the proceeds. At the same time, choosing to enter the European market is too risky and has too many unknowns. The expertise of Bar Maisse is needed for success to be likely; otherwise there are too many unknowns with where operations should be based on what markets are more likely to yield successful sales. While focusing on Europe and entering the market at this time does appear to be the correct decision, it should not be done at the expense of increasing growth in the United States. That market is under developed and is not being capitalized, as it should be.

How to Color Fire Fun Fireplace Instructions

The old method of coloring fire — rummaging through old magazines and newspapers, looking for highly colored pages to throw onto a fire to make colored flames — can be hit-and-miss. However, if you want to know how to color fire reliably, check out this list of colorants and simple instructions for using them. Chemicals That Are  Flame Colorants In theory, you could use any chemical that works for the flame test. In practice, its better to stick with these safe, readily available compounds. Color Chemical Carmine Lithium Chloride Red Strontium Chloride or Strontium Nitrate Orange Calcium Chloride (a bleaching powder) Yellow Sodium Chloride (table salt)or Sodium Carbonate Yellowish Green Borax Green Copper Sulfate or Boric Acid Blue Copper Chloride Violet 3 parts Potassium Sulfate1 part Potassium Nitrate (saltpeter) Purple Potassium Chloride White Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom salts) Here are some of your options: Toss dry colorants onto the flames.Soak logs in an alcohol solution of colorants.Soak logs in an aqueous (water) solution of colorants and allow the logs to dry.Prepare pine cones, sawdust, or cork with colorants. In general, there is no specific proportion of colorant to mix with the water or alcohol. Add as much powdered colorant as will dissolve in the liquid (roughly a half-pound colorant to a gallon of water). Do not attempt to mix colors together — you will probably end up with a normal yellow flame. If you want multicolored fire, try adding several pine cones, each treated with a single colorant, or scatter a mixture of dried colored sawdust  across the fire. How to Prepare Pine Cones or Sawdust Its easy, but remember to do this procedure separately for each color. You can combine dry pine cones or sawdust with different colorants later. Pour water into a bucket. Use sufficient water to be able to wet your pine cones, sawdust, or waste cork. Skip to step 3 if you purchased your colorant in liquid form.Stir in colorant until you cant dissolve anymore. For sawdust or waste cork, you may also add some liquid glue, which will allow the pieces to stick together and form larger chunks.Add the pine cones, sawdust, or cork. Mix to form an even coat.Let the material soak in the colorant mixture for several hours or overnight.Spread the pieces out to dry. If desired, pine cones may be placed in a paper or mesh bag. You can spread sawdust or cork out on paper, which will also produce colored flames. How to Prepare Colored Fire Logs Follow steps 1 and 2 above and either roll a log around in the container (big container, small log) or else pour and spread the mixture onto the logs. Wear kitchen or other protective gloves to protect your hands. Allow the logs to dry. If you make your own newspaper logs, you can smear colorant onto the paper before rolling it. Points to Keep in Mind The element sodium burns with the usual yellow flame. The presence of this element can overwhelm any other color. If you are making a dry mixture of colorants or colored pine cones/sawdust, you should avoid including any colorant that has sodium in it.If you are using alcohol-based colorants: Remember that alcohol is flammable. If you dont allow it to evaporate before use, you will get a lighter-fluid effect. Use with care!Dont color BBQ fire! The colorants may produce pretty flames, but they can also produce toxic food.Keep the colorants away from children and handle them with the care and respect due to potentially hazardous chemicals. Read and adhere to any warnings listed on product labels. Now, here is the list of colorants. Most can be found in a grocery or dry goods store, in the laundry or cleaner section. Look for copper sulfate in swimming pool supplies (already in water, which is fine). Potassium chloride is used as a salt substitute and may be found in the spice section. Epsom salts, borax, and calcium chloride may be found with laundry/cleaning supplies. Others, including strontium chloride, can be obtained from stores that specialize in rocketry or firework supplies.