It is colourless, soluble in water, and insoluble in alcohol. It decomposes if heated too much.
The mononitrate looks like this:
Thiamin pyrophosphate is a coenzyme of pyruvate dehydrogenase, α-ketoglutaran dehydrogenase and transketolase. Because the first two of these enzymes are important in the metabolism of carbohydrates, thiamin deficiency causes problems with it. Thiamin deficiency also causes the diseases Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and beriberi, diseases common in chronic abusers of alcohol.
Commonly also spelled "thiamine".