Monolaurin (abbreviated GML; also called glycerol monolaurate, glyceryl laurate, and 1-lauroyl-glycerol) is a

monoglyceride Monoglycerides (also: acylglycerols or monoacylglycerols) are a class of glycerides which are composed of a molecule of glycerol linked to a fatty acid via an ester bond. As glycerol contains both primary and secondary alcohol groups two differen ...

. It is the mono-

ester In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an oxoacid (organic or inorganic) in which at least one hydroxyl group () is replaced by an alkoxy group (), as in the substitution reaction of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. Glycerides ar ...

formed from

glycerol Glycerol (), also called glycerine in British English and glycerin in American English, is a simple triol compound. It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is sweet-tasting and non-toxic. The glycerol backbone is found in lipids known ...

and

lauric acid Lauric acid, systematically dodecanoic acid, is a saturated fatty acid with a 12-carbon atom chain, thus having many properties of medium-chain fatty acids. It is a bright white, powdery solid with a faint odor of bay oil or soap. The salts and es ...

. Its chemical formula is C₁₅H₃₀O₄.

Uses

Monolaurin is most commonly used as a

surfactant Surfactants are chemical compounds that decrease the surface tension between two liquids, between a gas and a liquid, or interfacial tension between a liquid and a solid. Surfactants may act as detergents, wetting agents, emulsifiers, foaming ...

cosmetics Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...

, such as

deodorant A deodorant is a substance applied to the body to prevent or mask body odor due to bacterial breakdown of perspiration or vaginal secretions, for example in the armpits, groin, or feet. A subclass of deodorants, called antiperspirants, prevents s ...

s. As a

food additive Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance taste, appearance, or other sensory qualities. Some additives have been used for centuries as part of an effort to preserve food, for example vinegar (pickling), salt (salt ...

it is also used as an

emulsifier An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible (unmixable or unblendable) owing to liquid-liquid phase separation. Emulsions are part of a more general class of two-phase systems of matter called colloids. Altho ...

or preservative. Monolaurin is also marketed as a

dietary supplement A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement one's diet by taking a pill, capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients either extracted from food sources or that are synthetic in order ...

Occurrence

Monolaurin is found in

coconut oil frameless , right , alt = A cracked coconut and a bottle of coconut oil Coconut oil (or coconut butter) is an edible oil derived from the wick, meat, and milk of the coconut palm fruit. Coconut oil is a white solid fat; in warmer climates duri ...

and may be similar to other monoglycerides found in

human breast milk Breast milk (sometimes spelled as breastmilk) or mother's milk is milk produced by mammary glands located in the breast of a human female. Breast milk is the primary source of nutrition for newborns, containing fat, protein, carbohydrates ( lacto ...

. Lauric acid can be ingested in coconut oil and the human body converts it into monolaurin, furthermore, coconut oil, coconut cream, grated coconut and others products are excellent sources of lauric acid and, consequently, monolaurin. Researchers are unsure of conversion rates of lauric acid obtained through foods like coconut oil or coconut to monolaurin in the body. Because of this fact, it is unknown how much coconut oil or coconut one would need to ingest to receive a therapeutic dose of monolaurin. Some articles suggest it may be upwards of 100-300mL of coconut oil per day, making ingesting coconut oil unrealistic compared to monolaurin capsules.

Pharmacology

Monolaurin has shown some

antibacterial An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention of ...

antiviral Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used for treating viral infections. Most antivirals target specific viruses, while a broad-spectrum antiviral is effective against a wide range of viruses. Unlike most antibiotics, antiviral drugs do no ...

, and other antimicrobial effects test tubes, but no usefulness in treating patients has been established. Monolaurin is sold as a dietary supplement and as an ingredient in certain foods. The United States

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respon ...

categorizes it as generally recognized as safe. The Food and Drug Administration does not test whether dietary supplements benefit health or nutrition, as it does with medicines and medical treatments. Monolaurin is known to inactivate lipid-coated viruses by binding to the lipid-protein envelope of the virus, thereby preventing it from attaching and entering host cells, making infection and replication impossible. Other studies show that Monolaurin disintegrates the protective viral envelope, killing the virus. Monolaurin has been studied to inactivate many pathogens including Herpes simplex virus and Chlamydia trachomatis. Monolaurin also shows promising effects against bacteria (both gram-positive and gram-negative), yeast, fungi, and protozoa. Bacteria including E. coli, yeast including Candida albicans, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), Giardia lamblia, Staphylococcus aureus (Staph), and other microbes have all been neutralized by monolaurin in scientific studies. Monolaurin also presented antibacterial and anti-biofilm properties against Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia garinii, the bacterium which cause Lyme disease in humans. Monolaurin does not seem to contribute to

drug resistance Drug resistance is the reduction in effectiveness of a medication such as an antimicrobial or an antineoplastic in treating a disease or condition. The term is used in the context of resistance that pathogens or cancers have "acquired", that is, ...

References

{{reflist Non-ionic surfactants Lipids Laurate esters