Coconut oil extract could save you from food bacteria.Byline: ANI Washington, Sep 8 (ANI): An extract from coconut oil, called monolaurin, could be used as a microbial microbial pertaining to or emanating from a microbe. microbial digestion the breakdown of organic material, especially feedstuffs, by microbial organisms. agent in foods, according to a study. Monolaurin has been recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. ) and is known for its antimicrobial properties. When used in combination with other antimicrobial agents, it could prove to be an effective barrier to microorganisms Researchers from Zhejiang University in China studied the use of monolaurin as a nontraditional preservative in food products by combining it with commonly used antimicrobials in various concentrations and testing it on bacterial strains including Esherichia coli and on food components such as soy protein and water-soluble starch. And they found that monolaurin combined with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA EDTA: see chelating agents. ) a binding agent, was effective against Esherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis but not Staphylococcus aureus. When combined with the antimicrobial nisin nisin an antibiotic substance isolated from cultures of lactic acid producing streptococci and reputed to have antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria. , monolaurin was synergistically syn·er·gis·tic adj. 1. Of or relating to synergy: a synergistic effect. 2. Producing or capable of producing synergy: synergistic drugs. 3. effective against all three bacteria. Researchers studied monolaurin's interaction with food components and found that its antibacterial effectiveness was reduced by fat or starch but was not affected by protein. "These results contribute to a better understanding on the use of monolaurin as a nontraditional preservative for antimicrobial purpose in food products. The antimicrobial effects of monolaurin can be increased if used together or in combination with other preservative systems," said lead researcherui Zhang. The study has been published in the Journal of Food Science. (ANI) Copyright 2009 Asian News International The Asian News International (ANI) agency provides multimedia news to China and 50 bureaus in India. It covers virtually all of South Asia since its foundation and presently claims, on its official website, to be the leading South Asia-wide news agency. (ANI) - All Rights Reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion