Is dihydrothioctic acid the same as α-lipoic acid?

[venominme]

I read about creating a toxoid snake venom using equal part dihydrothioctic acid, as described in an immunization experiment. Is this the same thing as α-lipoic acid used in chelation therapy?

 

I am investigating the detoxifying, which has been done with formalin, methylene blue, glutaraldehyde, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, Dihydrothioctic acid, and UV radiation. Is there a commonality to these things that would suggest other chemicals or processes of detoxifying venoms?

[UC]

Dihydrothioctic acid (dihydrolipoic acid) is the reduced form of lipoic acid, which does not contain the 5-membered ring of the parent compound. The S-S bond has been reductively cleaved to two thiols (-SH).

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipoic_acid

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dihydrolipoic_acid