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Details

Stereochemistry ACHIRAL
Molecular Formula C12H24O2
Molecular Weight 200.3178
Optical Activity NONE
Defined Stereocenters 0 / 0
E/Z Centers 0
Charge 0

SHOW SMILES / InChI
Structure of LAURIC ACID

SMILES

CCCCCCCCCCCC(O)=O

InChI

InChIKey=POULHZVOKOAJMA-UHFFFAOYSA-N
InChI=1S/C12H24O2/c1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12(13)14/h2-11H2,1H3,(H,13,14)

HIDE SMILES / InChI

Description

Lauric acid, or dodecanoic acid, is the main acid in coconut oil and in palm kernel oil, and is believed to have antimicrobial properties. The detected values of half maximal effective concentration (EC(50)) of lauric acid on P. acnes, S. aureus, and S. epidermidis growth indicate that P. acnes is the most sensitive to lauric acid among these bacteria. In addition, lauric acid did not induce cytotoxicity to human sebocytes. This data highlight the potential of using lauric acid as an alternative treatment for antibiotic therapy of acne vulgaris. Lauric acid is used in the manufacture of soaps, detergents, cosmetics, and lauryl alcohol.

CNS Activity

Originator

Approval Year

Targets

Primary TargetPharmacologyConditionPotency

Conditions

ConditionModalityTargetsHighest PhaseProduct
Curative
Unknown
Inactive ingredient
CLEAN ROUTINE

PubMed

Sample Use Guides

In Vivo Use Guide
Mouse: Intradermal - 2 ug for 1 day; topical - 150 ug in Vaseline for 1 day.
Route of Administration: Other
In Vitro Use Guide
To compare dose-response effects of lauric acid on the growth of bacteria that are present in the skin flora, P. acnes, Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis) were co-cultured with agent at various concentrations for 72, 24, and 48 hours. The half maximal effective concentration of lauric acid on P. acnes growth was the lowest among the bacteria tested, suggesting that P. acnes is more sensitive than S. aureus and S. epidermidis. The values of MIC (1.95 ug/ml) and the half maximal effective concentration (1.5 ug/ml) of lauric acid were also determined using a different strain of P. acnes (ATCC 11827).