ABSTRACT
Fatty acids and their corresponding esters are a large group of chemicals found in nature and are considered to have little or no toxicity to humans. Early records suggest that fatty acids and their salts (soaps) have a long record of use for their antimicrobial activity. Some generalizations concerning the antimicrobial activity of fatty acids include: they have less effect on Gram-negative than Gram-positive bacteria, the most active chain length for saturated fatty acids generally is C12 and the most active monounsaturated is C16:1, the cis form is active and the trans is inactive. As to glycerol monoesters, a general statement is that the fatty acid used to esterify the polyol determines the antimicrobial potency of the ester. Thus, lauric acid (C12) and palmitoleic acid (C16:1) are the most active saturated and unsaturated derivatives, respectively. However caprylic (C8) acid monoesters have also has been shown to have considerable antimicrobial activity. Subjects covered in this chapter include history, antimicrobial activity of fatty acids and monoesters (sucrose, polyglycerol, glycerol), effect of chemical modifications on antimicrobial activity, structure–function relationship, combinations with other antimicrobials, combinations with heat and cold, application to dairy products, meat products, seafood, and other products, and mechanism of action.
