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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Sustainable Biofuels and Co-products Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #347816
Research Project: Enable New Marketable, Value-added Coproducts to Improve Biorefining Profitability

Location: Sustainable Biofuels and Co-products Research

Title: Poly-phenolic branched-chain fatty acids as potential bio-based odorless liquid antimicrobial agents

Author
item Ngo, Helen
item Fan, Xuetong
item Moreau, Robert

Submitted to: Popular Publication
Publication Type: Popular Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/7/2017
Publication Date: 3/1/2018
Citation: Lew, H.N., Fan, X., Moreau, R.A. 2018. Poly-phenolic branched-chain fatty acids as potential bio-based odorless liquid antimicrobial agents. Popular Publication. 29(3):20-22.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Bio-based ingredients are known to be non-toxic (or less toxic), biodegradable, thermally stable, and sustainable as they are typically derived from renewable or biological resources. Bio-based poly-phenolic branched-chain fatty acids (poly-PBC-FAs) highlighted in the article are derivatives of fatty acids which have been successfully produced from two streams of renewable resources: natural phenolics (e.g., thymol, carvacrol and creosote) and fatty acids derived from oils. They are odorless and liquid at ambient temperature which makes them easy to apply and handle. Most importantly, they have unique hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties which explains why they exhibit excellent antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. The discovery of these poly-PBC-FA products is a breakthrough because these products are both easier to handle and more environmentally friendly than most current antimicrobial agents.