Lauroyl Arginate Ethyl Research Articles

Rapid polyamide membrane compatibility testing of potential anti-biofouling agents for reverse osmosis membrane systems

ABSTRACT The detrimental impacts of biofouling on reverse osmosis (RO) membrane (ROM) installations is one of the main technical barriers faced by RO technology to provide potable water. To unveil safer alternatives for biofouling prevention in ROM installations, this work assesses the ROM compatibility of three potential low-hazard anti-biofouling agents (lauroyl arginate ethyl (LAE), phenoxyethanol (PE), and sodium benzoate (SB)) via a proposed rapid membrane degradation test. This study offers a cost-effective screening tool to select biocides for extensive compatibility studies. Attenuated total reflectance – Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy assessed ROM surface damage due to biocide exposure. LAE did not show significant morphological or chemical membrane damage at any experimental conditions (exposure time: 1, 8, and 24 h; pH: 4, 7, 9; concentration: 100 mg/L, 50 g/L, 100 g/L, and 150 g/L). However, results indicated that exposure to PE and SB led to membrane degradation. The proposed rapid membrane degradation test showed to be an excellent tool for improving current membrane compatibility testing practices. It identified two ROM-damaging biocides, SB and PE, streamlining large-scale testing efforts. Additionally, it identified a promising biocide, LAE, with the potential to address biofouling in RO systems, prompting further long-term compatibility studies.

Entrapment of antimicrobial compounds in a metal matrix for crop protection.

Agricultural yields are often limited by damage caused by pathogenic microorganisms, including plant-pathogenic bacteria. The chemical control options to cope with bacterial diseases in agriculture are limited, predominantly relying on copper-based products. These compounds, however, possess limited efficacy. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel technologies to manage bacterial plant diseases and reduce food loss. In this study, a new antimicrobial agent was developed using a doping method that entraps small bioactive organic molecules inside copper as the metal matrix. The food preservative agent lauroyl arginate ethyl ester (ethyl lauroyl arginate; LAE) was chosen as the doped organic compound. The new composites were termed LAE@[Cu]. Bactericidal assays against Acidovorax citrulli, a severe plant pathogen, revealed that LAE and copper in the composites possess a synergistic interaction as compared with each component individually. LAE@[Cu] composites were further characterised in terms of chemical properties and in planta assays demonstrated their potential for further development as crop protection agents.

Development and characterization of starch/PVA antimicrobial active films with controlled release property by utilizing electrostatic interactions between nanocellulose and lauroyl arginate ethyl ester

The two nanocellulose (nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) and carboxylated nanofibrillated cellulose (C-NFC)) could interact with lauryl arginine ethyl ester hydrochloride (LAE) through electrostatic bonding. The zeta potential (absolute value) of C-NFC (−27.80 mV) was higher than that of NFC (−10.07 mV). The starch/polyvinyl alcohol active films with controlled release property by utilizing electrostatic interactions between nanocellulose and LAE were prepared and their properties were investigated. For incorporation of the NFC or C-NFC, the cross-section of the films became slightly uneven and some fibrils were observed, the films exhibited an increase in strength, while the film water vapor and oxygen barrier properties decreased. The release of LAE from the films to food simulants (10 % ethanol) decelerated with increasing of NFC or C-NFC. These might be mainly attributed to the enhanced electrostatic interaction between NFC or C-NFC and LAE. It demonstrated that nanocellulose with higher negative charges would exhibit stronger electrostatic interaction with LAE, thus slowing the release of LAE. The film with highest C-NFC content exhibited smallest inhibition zone among LAE-containing films, which was related with its slowest release rate of LAE. It showed a great prospect to develop controlled release active packaging films by utilizing electrostatic interactions between substances.

Development of electrospun fish gelatin film containing lauroyl arginate ethyl and its application in large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) preservation

Development of electrospun fish gelatin film containing lauroyl arginate ethyl and its application in large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) preservation

Interfacial properties and structure of Pickering emulsions co-stabilized by different charge emulsifiers and zein nanoparticles

The stability of Pickering emulsions can be improved by the synergistic action of colloidal particles and small molecule emulsifiers. In addition, the interaction between particles and different charge emulsifiers at the interface may result in different interfacial film structures, thus affecting the stability of Pickering emulsions. However, little is currently known about the impact of emulsifier charge on the fabrication and characteristics of these co-stabilized Pickering emulsions. Herein, we investigated the influence of Pickering emulsions co-stabilized by zein nanoparticles and anionic (quillaja saponin, QS), non-ionic (Tween 80), or cationic (lauroyl arginate ethyl hydrochloride) emulsifiers on the interfacial properties. The adsorption kinetics and rheological behavior of the molecular emulsifiers at oil/water interfaces were studied. Changes in interfacial structure and adsorption behavior were studied by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and quartz crystal microbalance-dissipation (QCM-D) analysis. The dynamic interface characteristics showed that QS has good emulsification performance. The CLSM images indicated that the emulsifier charge impacted the interfacial structure of the Pickering emulsions. The combination of QS and zein nanoparticles formed a coating at the oil/water interface that was denser than for the other two emulsifiers, which improved the stability of the Pickering emulsions. QCM-D revealed that the interfacial film formed by anionic emulsifiers and zein nanoparticles was the thickest (about 6.6 nm). Moreover, anionic emulsifiers and zein nanoparticles stabilized Pickering emulsions provided the best protection against curcumin. These results may be important for optimizing the performance of Pickering emulsions in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Lauroyl arginate ethyl: A novel bio‐based CO2‐switchable surfactant

AbstractFor switchable surfactant to be reusable, its property must be activated by a stimulus after it has been utilized. Nonetheless, a plenty of switchable surfactants are environmentally harmful tertiary amines. This study investigates the biocompatible amino acid derivatives, lauroyl arginate ethyl (LAE) as a new biodegradable CO2‐switchable surfactant. In the study, LAE was prepared and its structure was characterized. The variation of pH value was measured to determine the responsiveness to CO2. The surface tension and interfacial tension were measured to determine the surface activity of the material. Finally, CO2 and N2 were injected into the solution to determine reversible emulsification of emulsion. Not only does the LAE have reversible emulsification capacity, but it is also non‐toxic and biodegradable. In the future, its applications in everyday life and industry will expand.

Waste Orange Peels as a Source of Cellulose Nanocrystals and Their Use for the Development of Nanocomposite Films.

To date, approximately 30-50% of food is wasted from post-harvesting to consumer usage. Typical examples of food by-products are fruit peels and pomace, seeds, and others. A large part of these matrices is still discarded in landfills, while a small portion is valorized for bioprocessing. In this context, a feasible strategy to valorize food by-products consists of their use for the production of bioactive compounds and nanofillers, which can be further used to functionalize biobased packaging materials. The focus of this research was to create an efficient methodology for the extraction of cellulose from leftover orange peel after juice processing and for its conversion into cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) for use in bionanocomposite films for packaging materials. Orange CNCs were characterized by TEM and XRD analyses and added as reinforcing agents into chitosan/hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (CS/HPMC) films enriched with lauroyl arginate ethyl (LAE®). It was evaluated how CNCs and LAE® affected the technical and functional characteristics of CS/HPMC films. CNCs revealed needle-like shapes with an aspect ratio of 12.5, and average length and width of 500 nm and 40 nm, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy confirmed the high compatibility of the CS/HPMC blend with CNCs and LAE®. The inclusion of CNCs increased the films' tensile strength, light barrier, and water vapor barrier properties while reducing their water solubility. The addition of LAE® improved the films' flexibility and gave them biocidal efficacy against the main bacterial pathogens that cause foodborne illness, such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica.

Enhancing the Matrix–Fiber Interface with a Surfactant Leads to Improved Performance Properties of 3D Printed Composite Materials Containing Cellulose Nanofibrils

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) exhibit characteristics that make them a desirable addition to new composite materials. CNFs are usable in a wide variety of applications such as coatings, personal and healthcare products, packaging, and advanced structural materials. They can also help overcome some performance issues with objects 3D printed by stereolithography (SLA) including dimensional instability and poor mechanical properties. However, CNFs are hydrophilic, making their dispersion in hydrophobic resins common to SLA difficult. Therefore, improvement of performance properties will not be fully realized. In this work, we treated TEMPO-oxidized CNFs (TOCNFs) with the hydrochloride salt of lauroyl arginate ethyl ester (LAE·HCl), a cationic surfactant, to investigate how this coating would affect the performance properties of multicomponent uncured SLA resins and subsequently printed objects. We hypothesized this coating would enhance the dispersion of the cellulose nanomaterials when compared to their uncoated counterparts, which would lead to quantifiable differences among the sample groups. We found that the viscosity of a commercial 3D printing resin (0.34 Pa·s at 30 Hz) increased by nearly an order of magnitude upon addition of even 1 wt % uncoated TOCNFs (2.96 Pa·s at 30 Hz). Moreover, the tensile strength (19.9(5) MPa) and modulus (0.65(5) GPa) of objects printed from the commercial resin decreased when adding 4 wt % uncoated TOCNF (12.5(2) MPa and 0.58(8) GPa, respectively). In contrast, resins having 4 wt % TOCNFs coated with LAE were less viscous (1.25 Pa·s at 30 Hz), and objects printed from them had enhanced tensile strength (24.7(7) MPa) and modulus (0.78(8) GPa) when compared to both the unadulterated resin and that having uncoated TOCNFs. Our findings show the general utility of using a surfactant with cellulose nanomaterials to homogenize multicomponent resins for 3D printing composite materials with enhanced performance properties.

Development of an Arginine Anchored Nanoglobule with Retrograde Trafficking Inhibitor (Retro-2) for the Treatment of an Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli Outbreak.

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EHEC) or Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) is known to cause sporadic and epidemic gastrointestinal infections with several incidences of outbreaks. Antibiotic-based therapy further worsens the condition by facilitating the release of Shiga toxins (Stx) and lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Hence, there is an urgent need to develop an antibiotic-free, safe, and effective therapeutic intervention for the treatment of EHEC infections. We proposed a novel therapeutic strategy to address this clinical problem-kill, capture, and inhibit. We aimed to formulate and characterize lauroyl arginate ethyl ester (LAE) and Retro-2 loaded self-nano emulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS). Retro-2 is a recently developed novel class of molecule, which can selectively inhibit retrograde transport of Stx. In this paper, we first carried out preformulation studies of Retro-2, followed by the development of SNEDDS forming arginine anchored nanoglobules (AR-NG), characterization of LPS binding to AR-NG, and finally evaluation of activity against EHEC. Retro-2 showed extremely poor solubility at all gastrointestinal pH values, susceptibility to acidic environments, and good permeability. The positively charged AR-NG spontaneously formed a globule size of 102.8 ± 1.9 nm with a surface charge of +52.15 ± 3 mV and increased the solubility of Retro-2. Further, binding and aggregation of LPS and AR-NG were confirmed by particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, fluorescent intensity, turbidity analysis, and a limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) test. Additionally, a significant reduction in LPS induced TNF-α was observed in AR-NG treated macrophages. Thus, in this paper, we demonstrate a very promising and innovative therapeutic approach based on the "kill (E. Coli), capture (released LPS), and inhibit (transport of Stx)" concept.

Synergistic Antimicrobial Activity by Light or Thermal Treatment and Lauric Arginate: Membrane Damage and Oxidative Stress.

The need for more effective antimicrobials is critical for the food industry to improve food safety and reduce spoilage of minimally processed foods. The present study was initiated to develop an efficient and novel antimicrobial approach which combines physical treatments (UV-A or mild heat) and generally recognized as safe lauroyl arginate ethyl (LAE) to inactivate surrogate strains, including Escherichia coli and Listeria innocua Synergistic inactivation of bacteria resulted in an ∼6-log reduction of target bacteria, while individual treatments resulted in <1.5-log inactivation under the same set of conditions. In addition, the synergistic mechanism between LAE and UV-A/mild heat was evaluated by supplementing with a variety of antioxidants for suppressing oxidative stress and measurement of cell membrane damage by nucleic acid release. These results demonstrate that the synergistic antimicrobial activity of LAE and mild physical stresses was suppressed by supplementation with antioxidants. The research also compared LAE with another membrane-targeting lipopeptide antimicrobial agent, polymyxin B, to understand the uniqueness of LAE-induced synergy. Briefly, differences in modes of action between LAE and polymyxin B were characterized by comparing the MIC, damage to liposomes, and oxidative stress generation. These differences in the mode of action between LAE and polymyxin B suggested that both compounds target cell membrane but significantly differ in mechanisms, including membrane disruption and oxidative stress generation. Overall, this study illustrates synergistic antimicrobial activity of LAE with light or mild heat and indicates a novel oxidative stress pathway that enhances the activity of LAE beyond membrane damage.IMPORTANCE This study highlights an effective antimicrobial processing approach using a novel combination of lauroyl arginate ethyl (LAE) and two different physical treatments, light (UV-A) and mild heat. Both combinations demonstrated synergistic inactivation against a model Gram-negative bacterium or a Gram-positive bacterium or both by a >5-log reduction. Further mechanistic study revealed that oxidative stress is responsible for synergistic inactivation between LAE and UV-A, while both membrane damage and oxidative stress are responsible for the synergistic combination between LAE and mild heat. The mode of action of LAE was further compared to that of polymyxin B and analyzed using artificial membrane model systems and the addition of antioxidants. The proposed combination of LAE and common physical treatments may improve food preservation, food safety, and current sanitation processes for the food industry and the inactivation of pathogenic strains in biomedical environments.

Comparative analysis of blend and bilayer films based on chitosan and gelatin enriched with LAE (lauroyl arginate ethyl) with antimicrobial activity for food packaging applications

Abstract Blend and bilayer bio-based active films were developed by solvent casting technique, using chitosan (CS) and gelatin (GL) as biopolymers, glycerol as a plasticizer and lauroyl arginate ethyl (LAE) as an antimicrobial compound. Blend films had higher tensile strength and elastic modulus and lower water vapor permeability than bilayer films (p

Effect of Chitosan Coatings Enriched with Lauroyl Arginate Ethyl and Montmorillonite on Microbial Growth and Quality Maintenance of Minimally Processed Table Grapes (Vitis vinifera L. Kyoho) During Cold Storage

The effects of lauroyl arginate ethyl (LAE), chitosan (CTS), and CTS-containing montmorillonite and LAE coatings (CML) on the quality maintenance and shelf life of minimally processed grapes stored at 4 °C for 20 days were investigated. Compared with the control, LAE, and pure CTS coatings, the CML coatings effectively decreased grape weight loss, respiration, and decay incidence as well as microorganism counts of total aerobic bacteria, yeasts, molds, and lactic acid bacteria in grapes. The CML coatings also showed better effects on delaying the tissue softening and browning due to the decreased activities of polygalacturonase, pectin methyl esterase, and polyphenol oxidase. CML coatings did not significantly change the content of soluble solids and the titratable acidity or the pH value of grapes, compared with other samples. However, CML coatings ensured higher content of ascorbic acid and sensory quality in grapes. The results confirmed that CML coatings improve microbiological safety and preserve nutritional and sensory quality of minimally processed grapes.

Combination of lauroyl arginate ethyl and nisin for biofouling control in reverse osmosis processes

Lauroyl arginate ethyl (LAE) is a non-oxidizing biocide effective in controlling biofouling in reverse osmosis (RO) processes. However, the operating concentrations of LAE should be lowered to reduce the possible adsorption of LAE onto RO membranes and to reduce operational costs. This study investigated combinations of LAE with another non-oxidizing biocide, nisin, to overcome such practical limitation of LAE in a bench-scale RO unit operated with full recirculation with the model bacteria Staphylococcus aureus ATCC6538 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14. Several combinations of LAE and nisin (e.g. 1mg/L LAE+2mg/L nisin) were more effective in killing bacteria than LAE or nisin treatment alone, possibly due to permeability synergy. Furthermore, in a bench-scale RO unit operated with full recirculation and model bacteria, flux declines were more effectively moderated by dosing LAE and nisin together compared with the dosing of LAE or nisin alone. LAE dosing alone showed rapid flux decline in the early operational period, while nisin dosing alone demonstrated the lowest flux at the end of the operation. In conclusion, combinations of LAE and nisin appear more effective to mitigate biofouling developed on membranes than LAE or nisin alone.

Biofilm of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on cantaloupe surface is resistant to lauroyl arginate ethyl and sodium hypochlorite

Biofilms formed by Escherichia coli O157:H7 on cantaloupe rind were characterized in this study. Cantaloupe rind pieces inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 B6-914 was sampled after 2, 12, and 24h incubation for imaging with cryo-scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM) or treating with lauroyl arginate ethyl (LAE) or sodium hypochlorite (SHC). Cryo-SEM images showed that E. coli O157:H7 formed a biofilm within 12h on the rind surface. For rind samples treated with LAE or SHC, the residual cell counts were significantly different (p<0.05) between 2 and 12h incubation, and between 2 and 24h of incubation. For the 2h incubation samples, E. coli O157:H7 was undetectable (>5-log reduction) after treatment with 2000μg/mL of LAE or SHC. In contrast, for 12h incubation samples, 2000μg/mL of LAE or SHC could only achieve 1.74 or 1.86-log reduction, respectively. The study showed the low efficacy of LAE and SHC on cantaloupe rind surface to reduce the E. coli biofilm, suggesting the needs for cantaloupe cleaning methods beyond washing with conventional antimicrobial agents.

Lauroyl Arginate Ethyl Blocks the Iron Signals Necessary for Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Development.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous gram-negative bacterium capable of forming a biofilm on living and non-living surfaces, which frequently leads to undesirable consequences. We found that lauroyl arginate ethyl (LAE), a synthetic non-oxidizing biocide, inhibited biofilm formation by P. aeruginosa at a sub-growth inhibitory concentration under both static and flow conditions. A global transcriptome analysis was conducted using a gene chip microarray to identify the genes targeted by LAE. In response to LAE treatment, P. aeruginosa cells up-regulated iron acquisition and signaling genes and down-regulated iron storage genes. LAE demonstrated the capacity to chelate iron in an experiment in which free LAE molecules were measured by increasing the ratio of iron to LAE. Furthermore, compared to untreated cells, P. aeruginosa cells treated with LAE exhibited enhanced twitching motility, a phenotype that is usually evident when the cells are starved for iron. Taken together, these results imply that LAE generated iron-limiting conditions, and in turn, blocked iron signals necessary for P. aeruginosa biofilm development. As destroying or blocking signals leading to biofilm development would be an efficient way to mitigate problematic biofilms, our findings suggest that LAE can aid in reducing P. aeruginosa biofilms for therapeutic and industrial purposes.

Development of antimicrobial polyolefin films containing lauroyl arginate and their use in the packaging of strawberries

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films were supplemented with lauroyl arginate ethyl (LAE) and characterized for physical, mechanical and antimicrobial properties as well as their use for fresh ‘Sulhyang’ strawberries packaging. LAE powder was added into the LDPE films at 0, 1, 3, 5, and 10% (w/w) and assessed for physical properties, gas permeation, thickness and color values. The results showed that incorporation of LAE into the LDPE matrix did not affect film thickness and color. The thermal stability of the LAE/LDPE film decreased with increasing concentrations of LAE. The LAE/LDPE film exhibited a rough surface and compact structure. Tensile strength were affected by addition of LAE on the other hand value of elongation at break were increased. The LAE/LDPE containing 5 and 10% LAE showed significant antimicrobial properties against mycelium growth. Further, 5 and 10% LAE/LDPE films were used for storage study and it showed that incorporation of LAE into LDPE film was an effective method for maintaining the quality of strawberries. Films containing LAE were very effective at reducing the total weight loss, maintaining firmness, and reduced fungal decay compared to the control strawberries at 10 °C. These results suggest that LAE/LDPE films are potential candidates for advanced packaging materials for the fruits packaging application.

Pathogen biofilm formation on cantaloupe surface and its impact on the antibacterial effect of lauroyl arginate ethyl

Pathogen biofilm at fruit surface may pose a particular risk to food safety. In this study, the biofilms of Listeria monocytogenes V7 and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ATCC 13311 on cantaloupe fruit surface were visualized, and the resistance of biofilms against lauroyl arginate ethyl (LAE, an antibacterial compound) was evaluated. Each bacterium was inoculated on isolated cantaloupe rind surfaces at 105–106 CFU/cm2 and after incubation for 2, 12, 24, and 48 h, the surfaces were imaged using cryo-scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM). The images showed that both pathogens formed biofilms on rind surfaces, with S. Typhimurium forming biofilm in 12 h and L. monocytogenes cells starting to aggregate in 2 h. For the inoculated rind surfaces treated with LAE, the cell counts were affected by both the incubation time and LAE concentration. For rind surface with 2 h incubation of S. Typhimurium, 400 and 800 μg/mL LAE was able to achieve >2.00 log reduction; however, 12 h incubation required 1600 and 2000 μg/mL LAE for >2.00 log reduction. In contrast, even the highest LAE concentration (2000 μg/mL) was unable to cause 1.00 log reduction for L. monocytogenes regardless the incubation time applied. The results showed that the biofilms of both bacteria substantially reduced LAE efficacy, and that the biofilm of L. monocytogenes was more resistant than that of S. Typhimurium.

Antimicrobial effect of lauroyl arginate ethyl on Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes on red oak leaf lettuce

The objective of the present study was to determine the antimicrobial activity of lauroyl arginate ethyl (LAE) against enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes on oak leaf lettuce. Thus, bacterial suspensions of both pathogens containing 9.0 log10 CFU/mL were spot inoculated on the upper surfaces of lettuce leaves and the leaves were washed with water containing LAE in a final concentration of 100 mg/L. The viable counts of L. monocytogenes DSM 20600T and Escherichia coli O157:H7 strain EDL933 were reduced with this treatment by ~3.5 log10 CFU/g and ~2.5 log10 CFU/g, respectively. The microbial load of the wash water was reduced by more than 4.1 log10 CFU/mL and was below the detection limit. The second objective was to study whether adherence factors of EHEC O157:H7 strain EDL933 influence the ability to adhere on the lettuce surface, as well as the effectivity of the washing processes. Therefore, the flagellin gene fliC and the pilin subunit encoding gene hcpA of the hemorrhagic coli pilus were deleted. Based on the initial inoculation level, and without any washing step, the hcpA mutant was recovered 18 % less than the wild type from the leaf surface, the recovery of the fliC mutant was approximately 30 % higher as observed for the wild type. Both mutants could be washed from the lettuce leaves to a similar level as the wild type (~2.7 log10 CFU/g with LAE treatment and ~1.0 log10 CFU/g without LAE treatment). The findings of this study help to develop novel intervention strategies for fresh produce processing and washing treatments.

Lauroyl arginate ethyl: An effective antibiofouling agent applicable for reverse osmosis processes producing potable water

Biofouling is a major operational problem in reverse osmosis (RO) processes. Although direct dosing of non-oxidizing biocides (e.g. DBNPA) in RO vessels is an effective method for reducing biofouling, the application of non-oxidizing biocides to the production of potable water is strictly banned due to their human toxicity. In this regard, while food preservatives (i.e. non-toxic to human ingestion) can be used for this purpose, a systematic evaluation has not been conducted. Here, we explored the applicability of a food preservative, lauroyl arginate ethyl (LAE), to RO processes for potable water production. The compatibility of LAE with the RO membrane was tested by exposing the membrane to high concentrations of LAE. The membrane showed no significant morphological or chemical damage up to 100,000mg/L. LAE demonstrated high and fast antimicrobial activities, which was verified by measuring the minimum concentrations needed to inactivate and kill bacteria, measuring the inhibition zones, and analyzing the rates of bacterial killing. LAE was also effective in inhibiting biofilm formation and removing biofilm formed on the RO membrane. Furthermore, LAE did not negatively affect the RO performance factors such as water flux and salt rejection. Taken together, this study clearly demonstrated that LAE can be used to reduce biofouling in RO processes without risk of human toxicity.

Antimicrobial activity of Lauroyl Arginate Ethyl (LAE), against selected food-borne bacteria

The antibacterial activity of the novel antimicrobial substance, Lauroyl Arginate Ethyl (LAE) was examined against five food-borne bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria innocua, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella enterica). Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) determined by a broth microdilution method showed that LAE exhibit a strong antimicrobial activity against all strains tested. This antimicrobial activity was independent of the inoculum size and remained after two heating treatments. The results obtained in the survival study demonstrated that LAE showed a fast bactericidal effect. Images of scanning electron microscope suggested that cells membranes are the principal target of LAE.