Lauric Arginate is the term that has been accepted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for labelling purposes of Ethyl lauroyl arginate HCl. Other names commonly used to refer to this substance are LAE^® and Lauroyl arginine ethyl ester HCl.

Ethyl lauroyl arginate HCl is a synthetically produced cationic substance manufactured in LAMIRSA GROUP premises, according to processes patented by the company. The main particularity of Ethyl lauroyl arginate is that its building blocks are naturally occurring substances: L-arginine, ethanol and lauric acid. Once Ethyl lauroyl arginate HCl is ingested by consumers, it is easily hydrolysed within a few minutes in the human body into natural compounds commonly found in the diet. This property is not shared by the other food preservatives currently found in the marketplace such as sorbates, benzoates, sulphites, nitrites and nitrates.

Effective against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria, yeasts and moulds

Ethyl lauroyl arginate HCl is effective as a preservative against bacteria, yeast and moulds in a wide range of food and cosmetic products because it is able to disrupt the integrity of the cell membranes of these microorganisms (J. Appl. Microbiol., 2004, 96 (5) 903-912). Efficacy shown through out MIC’s (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) is high. For instance, against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria MIC’s are between 8 and 64 μg/ml as an average, and against yeast and mould are between 16 and 128 μg/ml. In spite of those MIC values, the doses of application of LAE^® in the final food and cosmetic products are usually higher. This is due to the differences in composition, conditions and requirements that those products have compared to the one of an in vitro test.

Investigations have proved that Ethyl lauroyl arginate HCl causes the inactivation or neutralisation of the endotoxins released by Gram negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, which might mitigate the damage caused by endotoxins in animals and human beings.

Safe and effective products for the treatment of viral infections are constantly needed. In this sense, VEDEQSA commissioned several investigations to study the efficacy of Ethyl lauroyl arginate HCl against certain viruses. The results of these investigations proved a strong antiviral activity against viruses of Vaccinia, Herpes simplex and bovine parainfluenzae virus types.

VEDEQSA highlights the fact that Ethyl lauroyl arginate HCl has applications in cosmetics as an active ingredient as well as a preservative.

The following tables show the MIC’s values of LAE^® against different types of microorganisms, also pathogens, which gives an insight into LAE^® wide range of activity and great effectiveness. The results were obtained by Dr. Manresa, from the Facultat de Farmàcia of Universitat de Barcelona:

[1] Isolated from polluted meat by Microbiology Unit, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona.