Final answer:
Compounds in alcoholic beverages called congeners are responsible for enhanced flavors and hangover symptoms, including substances like methanol and acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde contributes to hangover effects, while Antabuse worsens these by inhibiting acetaldehyde metabolism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The compounds in alcoholic beverages that enhance flavor and appearance but may also contribute to hangover symptoms are referred to as congeners. These byproducts are formed during the fermentation and aging processes and can include tannins, methanol, acetone, acetaldehyde, and esters. It's the metabolism of these substances that is associated with hangover symptoms. Specifically, methanol is broken down into formic acid and formaldehyde, which are toxins. Acetaldehyde, the first metabolite of ethanol, can also contribute to the unpleasant effects of a hangover, such as flushing, nausea, and dizziness.
Medications like Antabuse target acetaldehyde by inhibiting the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase, preventing the conversion of acetaldehyde into less harmful acetic acid, thus exacerbating the negative effects. In severe cases of methanol poisoning, ethanol can be used as an antidote by competitively inhibiting the metabolism of methanol to its toxic metabolites, allowing it to be excreted from the body without causing further damage.