New classes of antimicrobials: poly-phenolic branch-chained fatty acids

Authors: Ngo, Helen; Wagner, Karen; ZHANG, JIANWEI - South China University Of Technology; Nunez, Alberto; Fan, Xuetong; Moreau, Robert

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/2/2018
Publication Date: 9/5/2018
Citation: Lew, H.N., Wagner, K., Zhang, J., Nunez, A., Fan, X., Moreau, R.A. 2018. New classes of antimicrobials: poly-phenolic branch-chained fatty acids. Natural and Bio-Based Antimicrobials for Food Application. ACS Symposium Series: American Chemical Society: Washington DC, 2018. 209-221.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Antimicrobials and preservatives have been used for decades by the industry to enhance microbial safety and increase shelf-life. Unfortunately, there are increasingly concerns over the development of resistance by many harmful microorganisms. Thus, researchers have turned to synthetic chemistry to design new efficient and environmentally friendly antimicrobials to minimize the problem. A new class of synthetic antimicrobials, such as bio-based poly-phenolic branched-chain fatty acids are composed of hydrophobic aliphatic long chains and hydrophilic phenolic regions which possess biological, could potentially be good alternatives. These materials are found to be more stable than the parent fatty acids and have higher antimicrobial activities than the original parent natural phenolic compounds. The chemical synthetic method utilized two streams of renewable resources to make these compounds. The method developed to purify them, molecular distillation, is straightforward and efficient.