Selective Bactericidal Activity of Divalent Metal Salts of Lauric Acid

Abstract

Bacteria play a crucial role in skin health. For example, Staphylococcus aureus and Propionibacterium acnes cause skin roughness and acne, whereas Staphylococcus epidermidis enhances innate barrier immunity. Therefore, controlling the bacterial flora is important in dermatology and cosmetic chemistry. In this study, the bactericidal activities of different metal salts of lauric acid were evaluated. The bactericidal behavior of the salts changed according to the type of metal ion. Specifically, the Mg-, Ca-, and Mn-containing salts effectively sterilized only S. aureus and P. acnes. Their Co, Ni, and Cu salts sterilized all bacteria, including S. epidermidis, whereas the Zn salt proved ineffective. The Cu salt displayed the strongest bactericidal activity. Spin-trapping, detected using electron spin resonance, showed that this salt catalyzed the generation of hydroxyl radicals, which can destroy bacterial cell membranes. These findings demonstrate that metal-ion selection is an important factor in the design of bactericidal agents for healthcare products.

Intracellular Staphylococcus aureus Elicits the Production of Host Very Long-Chain Saturated Fatty Acids with Antimicrobial Activity

“…From then, many other studies have proven the bactericidal or bacteriostatic effect of several saturated and unsaturated fatty acids on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria [20,30]. Nowadays, partially driven by the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains, the research on fatty acids and monoglycerides as potential antibacterial agents has gained new attention [30,31,32,33,34,35,36].…”

Phase Transitions of Branched Fatty‐Acid Calcium Salt/Water Systems

“…Furthermore, the region of LC and W m decreases with the addition of metal ions. This is caused by the generation of hydrophobic solid particles when two carboxyl groups are bound to one metal ion (Yamamoto et al, , , ). Thus, solid particles are produced when the calcium content is high.…”

“…Moreover, stearic acid zinc salt is used in cosmetics because of its soft texture and superior property of adhesion to the skin. In addition, some fatty‐acid Ca salts show selective bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Propionibacterium acnes , which causes skin roughness and acne (Yamamoto et al, , , ).…”

Scanning Electron Microscopy Morphology of Metal Salts of Saturated Aliphatic Acids: Sodium Ion Results Branched Fibrous Image

“…Metal salts of carboxylic acids are referred as all‐rounders, due to their diverse applications in soap and food, lubrication, and coatings 1–6 . These applications attribute to their amphoteric polarity, a proper hardness and softness on a surface and antibacterial activity.…”

“…Metal salts of carboxylic acids are referred as allrounders, due to their diverse applications in soap and food, lubrication, and coatings. [1][2][3][4][5][6] These applications attribute to their amphoteric polarity, a proper hardness and softness on a surface and antibacterial activity. Coexist of nonpolar hydrocarbon and polar dipole moiety in a metal salt of aliphatic acid enforces unpredictable effects on the physicochemical properties such as orientation, packing, and external appearance of the composing substrate.…”