Alternative antimicrobials: the properties of fatty acids and monoglycerides

Abstract

With the rising antibiotic resistance of many bacterial species, alternative treatments are necessary to combat infectious diseases. The World Health Organization and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have warned that some infections, such as those from Neisseria gonorrhoeae, may be untreatable within a few years. One avenue of exploration is the use of antimicrobial fatty acids and their derivatives for therapeutic prevention or treatment of bacterial infections. Several studies have explored the activity of fatty acids and their derivatives, including monoglycerides against a variety of bacterial species. These are reviewed here, assessing the antimicrobial properties that have been demonstrated and the feasibility of therapeutic applications.

Keywords:

• Antibacterial
• antiviral
• resistance
• antimicrobials
• infection

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was financial supported by Sparks [11KIN01 and 13KIN01].