Molecules 2007, 12(2), 139-148; doi:10.3390/12020139
Article

Antibacterial Activity of Long-Chain Fatty Alcohols against Staphylococcus aureus

Naoko Togashi 1 , Akiko Shiraishi 1 , Miki Nishizaka 1 , Keisuke Matsuoka 2 , Kazutoyo Endo 2 , Hajime Hamashima 3  and Yoshihiro Inoue 1,* email
1 Department of Microbiology, Showa Pharmaceutical University, Machida, 194-8543 Tokyo, Japan 2 Department of Physical Chemistry, Showa Pharmaceutical University, Machida, 194-8543 Tokyo, Japan 3 Laboratory of Bio-Medicinal Pharmacology, Showa Pharmaceutical University, Machida, 194-8543 Tokyo, Japan
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 13 January 2007; in revised form: 31 January 2007 / Accepted: 2 February 2007 / Published: 5 February 2007
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Abstract: The antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus of long-chain fatty alcohols was investigated, with a focus on normal alcohols. The antibacterial activity varied with the length of the aliphatic carbon chain and not with the water/octanol partition coefficient. 1-Nonanol, 1-decanol and 1-undecanol had bactericidal activity and membrane-damaging activity. 1-Dodecanol and 1-tridecanol had the highest antibacterial activity among the long-chain fatty alcohols tested, but had no membrane-damaging activity. Consequently, it appears that not only the antibacterial activity but also the mode of action of long-chain fatty alcohols might be determined by the length of the aliphatic carbon chain.
Keywords: Staphylococcus aureus;fatty alcohols;antibacterial activity;length of carbon chain;K+ ion leakage.

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MDPI and ACS Style

Togashi, N.; Shiraishi, A.; Nishizaka, M.; Matsuoka, K.; Endo, K.; Hamashima, H.; Inoue, Y. Antibacterial Activity of Long-Chain Fatty Alcohols against Staphylococcus aureus. Molecules 2007, 12, 139-148.

AMA Style

Togashi N, Shiraishi A, Nishizaka M, Matsuoka K, Endo K, Hamashima H, Inoue Y. Antibacterial Activity of Long-Chain Fatty Alcohols against Staphylococcus aureus. Molecules. 2007; 12(2):139-148.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Togashi, Naoko; Shiraishi, Akiko; Nishizaka, Miki; Matsuoka, Keisuke; Endo, Kazutoyo; Hamashima, Hajime; Inoue, Yoshihiro. 2007. "Antibacterial Activity of Long-Chain Fatty Alcohols against Staphylococcus aureus." Molecules 12, no. 2: 139-148.

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