Antibacterial tests against Hiochi bacteria of Japanese Sake were made with 13 kinds of compounds which are derivatives of lichen components, including orsellinic acid esters, β-orcinolcarboxylic acid esters, and olivetonide. Butyl orsellinate showed about 4 times the antibacterial action of n-butyl p-hydroxybenzoate and about 8-16 times that of salicylic acid. Hexyl and octyl orsellinates showed a strong antibacterial activity, about 60 times that of butyl p-hydroxybenzoate and about 125-250 times that of salicylic acid. The antibacterial action of methyl β-orcinolcarboxylate was about 10 times that of butyl p-hydroxybenzoate and about 20-40 times that of salicylic acid, while that of its ethyl ester was about 20 times that of butyl p-hydroxybenzoate and about 40-80 times that of salicylic acid. Olivetonide also showed an antibacterial action, about 8 times that of butyl p-hydroxybenzoate and 15-30 times that of salicylic acid. This test has shown that these compounds all had a strong antibacterial action against Hiochi bacteria.
