Antimicrobial activity of some fatty acid derivatives

Twelve fatty acid amide or ester derivatives were screened for antimicrobial activity against a grampositive bacterium,Staphylococcus aureus; a gramnegative bacterium,Escherichia coli; a mold, eitherAspergillus flavus orA. species; and a yeast, eitherCandida albicans orTorula species. These compounds were adducts of unsaturated fatty derivatives in which the addends were hexachlorocyclopentadiene, thiolacetic acid, bromotrichloromethane, or O,O‐diethylphosphorodithioic acid. All of the new compounds appreciably inhibited the activity of at least one of the test organisms, and most of them showed activity against all four types of organisms. The hexachlorocyclopentadiene adduct of 2‐(2‐ethoxyethoxy)ethyl oleate was especially potent in this regard.