Abstract
The growth inhibition activity against bacteria, yeasts and mold of the synthetic 31 derivatives of ferulic acid were evaluated and 12 compounds were found to inhibit the growth of Gram positive bacteria, yeasts and mold. Majority of the synthetic ferulic acid derivatives showed higher antimicrobial activity than that of ferulic acid. Butyl ferulate and 2-methyl-1 butyl ferulate showed the significant growth inhibition against B. subtilis, S. aureus and S. cerevisiae. Whereas hexyl ferulate significantly inhibited the growth of B. subtilis and S. aureus, those of the yeasts and the mold were not affected within the examined concentrations. Methyl ferulate and ethyl ferulate showed relatively wide antimicrobial spectrum that inhibited all examined microorganisms excluding Gram negative bacteria. It was observed that growth inhibitory activity of the ferulate esters is increased along with the alkyl chain length, simultaneously with the increase in the cytotoxicity. Methyl ferulate and 2-methyl-1 ethyl ferulate showed higher activities than those of commercial preservatives such as sorbic acid and benzoic acid and did not show severe inhibition against the growth of mice fibroblast cell line Balb/c 3T3 A31-1-1 at 100 μ M. These compounds would be good candidates of noble antimicrobial agent for food.
