Nah, it was probably just shitty alien craftsmanship. [She reached for the shelf, and picked up another such tube, but this one was plastic and smelled like a rainbow.]
See? This one's probably the same-- [With this one, she let the coils fall from one hand to the other, and something about the progression of colors across her immediate senses caused an almost euphoric sensation. Mouth agape, she repeated the motion, switching hands.