In VitroandIn VivoEffects of Two Coconut Oils in Comparison to Monolaurin onStaphylococcus aureus:Rodent Studies

Abstract

Since monolaurin, a monoglyceride formed in the human body in small quantities, has proven effective both in vitro and in vivo against certain strains of Staphylococcus aureus, an important question arises whether consuming a substance high in lauric acid content, such as coconut oil could increase intrinsic monolaurin production to levels that would be successful in overcoming staphylococcal and other microbial invaders. Both a cup plate method and a microdilution broth culture system were employed to test bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects of the test agents in vitro. To test effectiveness in vivo, female C3H/he mice (10-12 per group) were orally administered sterile saline (regular control), vancomycin (positive control), aqueous monolaurin, or two varieties of coconut oil (refined, bleached, deodorized coconut oil and virgin coconut oil) for 1 week before bacterial challenge and 30 days after. A final group received both monolaurin and vancomycin. In contrast to monolaurin, the coconut oils did not show bactericidal activity in vitro. In vivo, the groups receiving vancomycin, monolaurin, or the combination showed some protection--50-70% survival, whereas the protection from the coconut oils were virtually the same as control--0-16% survival. Although we did not find that the two coconut oils are helpful to overcome S. aureus infections, we corroborated earlier studies showing the ability of monolaurin to do such.

Characterizing how glycerol monolaurate (GML) affects human T cell signaling and function

“…Staphylococcus aureus, mice treated with GML via oral gavage had alleviated disease burden comparable to mice injected with intraperitoneal vancomycin [139,140]. This suggests that GML may potentially interact with carrier molecules such as serum albumin.…”

Coconut oil – a nutty idea?

“…; Manohar et al . ). Monolaurin has generally recognised as safe (GRAS) status in the US, is used as an emulsifier in food products and sold as a supplement.…”

Virgin Coconut Oil and Its Antimicrobial Properties against Pathogenic Microorganisms: A Review

“…Recently, experimental outcomes from many studies discovered that monolaurin had not only antimicrobial activity against various gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial cells [1,3,43] but also antifungal and antiviral properties [44,45,46,47,48]. Manohar et al [49] showed that coconut oils, when used as food flavouring agents, exhibited a wide range of antimicrobial activities. Among MCFAs, LA and its derivatives were found to be the most effective antimicrobial agents for foods and cosmetics [46,50].…”