Arthur F. Novak

10-Hydroxy-Δ2-Decenoic Acid, an Antibiotic Found in Royal Jelly

10-Hydroxy-Δ2-decenoic acid, the major component of the lipide fraction of royal jelly, exhibits antibiotic activity against many bacteria and fungi. This fatty acid is less than one-fourth as active as penicillin against Micrococcus pyogenes and less than one-fifth as active as chlortetracycline against Escherichia coli. It also slows the growth rate of Neurospora sitophila and some unidentified molds. The salt of this compound is considerably less active than the free acid.

Antimicrobial activity of some ricinoleic acid oleic acid derivatives

Ricinoleic and acid oleic acid derivatives were screened for their antimicrobial activity, under optimum growing-conditions, against several species of bacteria, yeasts, and molds. Several ricinoleic acid derivatives and petroselinic (iso-oleic) acid exhibited considerable activity; in fact, their activity against some micro-organisms was comparable to sorbic and 10-undecenoic acid, known antimicrobial agents, as indicated by this test.

Antimicrobial activity and physical characteristics of some N,N-Disubstituted decanamides

A number of N,N-disubstituted decanamides have been prepared, characterized and screened for their antimicrobial activity against a number of pathogenic organisms including bacteria both gram positive and negative, yeasts and molds. Several of these compounds exhibited a broad spectrum and high level of activity against all or most of the test organisms. The antimicrobial activity of these compounds has been shown to correlate with their dispersibility and surface tension in an aqueous systems.

Geschwisterbeziehung und seelische Erkrankung. Entwicklungspsychologie, Psychodynamik, Therapie

The reaction of human beings to the sting of the indigenous southern fire ant (Solenopsis xyloni McCook) is in marked contrast to that produced by the sting of the closely related imported fire ant (Solenopsis saevissima [Fr. Smith] ). Whereas the sting of S. saevissima is characterized by a painful edema, and marked necrosis (Caro et al. [I957]), we have found that the sting of S. xyloni seldom results in more than a mild prurience. These facts strongly indicate that the venoms of these two species of Solenopsis differ chemically. The purpose of this present paper is to compare the chem,ical and biological properties of these Sole,nopsis venom in order to possibly determine what is responsible for their different dermatological effects. Materials and lethods Venom was collected from major .or media workers, employing a previously described method (Blum et al. 958). The chemical and biological properties of S. xyloni venom were studied by procedures described elsewhere (Blum et al. 958; Blum and Callahan 96o). A crystalline derivative of the main com,ponent in S. xyloni venom was prepared from an ether extract of 45o poison glands, dissected from major workers. The derivative was isolated by the method of Blum and Callahan (96o). The dermatological effects of the sting of S. xyloni to human beings were studied by observing reactions at sting sites. Results and Disoussion The chemical properties of the venom of S. xyloni parallel those of the venom of S. saevissima in nearly all respects. Like. the venom of S. xylo,ni, the venomous secretion o S. saevissima consists of an alkaline two-phase system in which the suspended droplets represent the m,inor phase (Blum et al. 958). The main constituent in the venom of S. xyloni is an amine which is chemically comparable to, the amine isolated from the venom of S. saevissima (Adrouny et al. 959; Blum and Callahan 96o). The infrared spectrum of the venom o S. saevissima is virtually superimposable on the spectrum of the venom of S. xyloni and it is probable that the amine.constituents which these

Antimicrobial activity of some fatty acid derivatives

Petroselinic and ricinoleic acids and a number of their derivatives, together with stearic acid and two oleic acid derivatives which were in-cluded for the purpose of comparison, have been screened for antimycotic activity against 22 pathogenic yeasts and molds. A number of the compounds exhibited a wide spectrum of activity, testing either fair or good against all or most of the yeasts and molds, and almost all were fairly active against at least one of the organisms.

Sulfur derivatives of N,N-Disubstituted amides of long chain fatty acids and their antimicrobial activities

Mercaptoacetic acid was added to the internal double bond of N,N-disubstituted oleamides and the terminal double bond of 11-undecenoylmorpholine. Unreacted starting materials were removed by distillation and as urea complexes. The internal carboxyl group of N,N-disubstituted-9(10)-(carboxymethylthio)stearamides and the terminal carboxyl group of 11-(carboxymethylthio)undecanamide were esterified. Screening for broad range antimicrobial activity againstCandida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, andAspergillus species indicated that all compounds tested were active. However, 9(10)-(carbomethoxymethylthio)stearoylmorpholine and 9(10)-carbethoxymethylthio)stearoyl-4-methylpiperidine were the most effective and strongly inhibited the growth of all organisms tested.

Free radical addition of dialkyl phosphites to N,N-disubstituted amides of unsaturated fatty acids and screening of the products for antimicrobial activity.

Free radical addition of dibutyl phosphites to terminal and internal double bonds of monounsaturated amides was attained in high yield. The reaction was initiated by irradiation using Cobalt-60. Attempts to add diphenyl phosphite to the unsaturated amides failed with the amides being recovered unchanged. Similar attempts to add dialkyl phosphites to N-linoleoylmorpholine resulted in products that were deficient in phosphorus. Screening for antimicrobial activity againstEscherichia coli, Trichosporon capitatum, Trichoderma viride andCandida lipolytica indicated that terminal addition products may be more active than the internal addition products, with the former strongly inhibiting the growth of all four test organisms.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (Pcbs) in food

The universal presence and toxicity of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) poses a threat to the environment and human health. They are disturbingly widespread in the ecosystem, including human adipose tissue, human milk, and even brain and liver of small children. Paradoxically, although they have been in commercial use since the last 40 years, they were reported in environmental samples only very recently. It is interesting to note that the properties which make them industrially indispensable are the same properties which cause them to persist in the environment. Their enormous commercial uses include incorporation in adhesives, paints, varnishes, printing inks, elastomeres, lubricants, hydraulic fluids, liquid seals, flexible packaging, heat transfer fluids, fire retardants, carbonless reproducing papers, and many others. This also indicates the numerous ways by which they can gain access to the environment and marine food chains, as well as food products. Mass‐scale poisoning and contamination resulted ...

Antimicrobial properties of some fatty ester-amides

Twenty-seven fatty acid derivatives having both the amide and ester functions were screened for antimicrobial activity against a gram-positive bacterium,Staphylococcus aureus; a gram-negative bacterium,Escherichia coli; a mold, eitherAspergillus flavus orA. species; and a yeast, eitherCandida albicans orTorula species. All of the compounds effectively inhibited at least one of the organisms, and 19 of them were inhibitory against 3 or more. These 27 compounds were derivatives of diethanolamine or of N-methylethanolamine. The amide acyl moieties included the lauroyl, palmitoyl, oleoyl, erucoyl, benzoyl, andp-toluoyl groupings. The ester moieties included the lauroyl, palmitoyl, oleoyl, erucoyl, trimethylacetyl, benzoyl,p-toluoyl, and furoyl groupings. The activity exhibited by many of these materials suggests that they may have potential utility as biostatic additives in commercial products.

Free radical addition of thiolacetic acid to esters and amides of unsaturated acids and screening of the products for antimicrobial activity.

Free radical addition of thiolacetic acid to terminal and internal double bonds of mono-and diunsaturated amides, as well as to unsaturated esters, was achieved by irradiation with Cobalt-60. Screening for antimicrobial activity againstStaphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Aspergillus species,Torula species, andCandida albicans indicated that terminal addition products may be more active than internal addition products.