Lactobacillic acid
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| IUPAC name
Lactobacillic acid
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| Other names
* 10-(2-hexylcyclopropyl)decanoic acid
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3D model (JSmol)
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PubChem CID
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| Properties | |
| C19H36O2 | |
| Molar mass | 296,49 g·mol−1 |
| Melting point | 27,8–28,8 °C |
| soluble in acetone, chloroform, diethyl ether and petroleum ether | |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
Infobox references
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Lactobacillic acid, scientifically 10-(2-hexylcyclopropyl) decanoic acid, is a naturally occurring chemical compound from the group of fatty acids. Its salts are called lactobacillates. A special feature is the cyclopropane ring in the carbon chain. Lactobacillic acid, with 19 carbon atoms, is an odd-chain fatty acid.
The fatty acid was detected in the 1950s in bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus, but is also found in numerous other bacterial species. The bacterial biosynthesis of lactobacillic acid takes place from cis-vaccenic acid (cis-11-octadecenoic acid), a unsaturated fatty acid that has one carbon atom less. Bacteria in a batch culture form the fatty acid at the end of the exponential phase of growth or in the early stationary growth phase. Previous studies have shown that the biosynthesis and storage of lactobacillic acid in the cell membrane is associated with a protective effect for the bacterial cells, although the exact mechanism has not been conclusively clarified. In bacteriology, the fatty acid is mainly used for analytical purposes, for example in the identification of bacteria.