Ethyl lauroyl arginate

Lauroyl arginate ethyl ester(Lauric Arginine Ethyl for labeling purposes under FDA approval ) is a derivative of lauric acid, L-arginine and ethanol. The main characteristics of the molecule are a wide range of antimicrobial properties derived from its surfactant chemical structure that additionally yields certain tensioactive properties.
This compound is a white hygroscopic solid , dispersible in water up to 247 g/kg with a melting point at 50℃ to 58℃. Its partition coefficient between water and oil(soy, sunflower, olive) is higher than 10 which means that the molecule is mainly located in the water fraction, which is more susceptible to microbial contamination. This property gives Lauroyl arginate ethyl ester an advantage over other preservatives with different chemical structure intended for the same applications.
Lauroyl arginate ethyl ester shows chemical stability at pH range between 3 to 7 and maintains its antimicrobial activity in this interval; this offers a significant advantage compared to other products currently available in the market.Lauroyl arginate ethyl ester is hydrolysed in the human body by chemical and metabolic pathways breaking the molecule into natural compounds common in human diet; this feature gives LAEPRO a remarkable degree of safety. This non-toxicity is demonstrated by numerous toxicological studies carried out over the past years. On 1 September 2005, FDA issued the No objection Letter regarding that Lauroyl arginate ethyl ester is Genarally Regarded as Safe(GRAS) for use as antimicrobial in several food categories. Besides, USDA approved its use in meat and poulty products.

Its low toxicity in conjunction with its remarkable antimicrobial features makes LAEPRO a product with wide application within the food and cosmetics preservation field.

In July 2013 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assigned the E-243 number;to this new additive. In May 2014, regulation 506/2014 was published, approving the use in meat products, subjected to heat treatment, except emulsified sausage, smoked sausage and liver paste.
The compound is soluble in deionised water(<2% at 4℃， <10% at 25℃), propylene glycol, glycerol(10% at 25℃) and ethanol(40% at 25℃), and the pH of  1% solution should not be less than 3 and not more than 5. Lauroyl arginate ethyl ester is stable for more than 2 years at room temperature when protected in a closed container.  The stability of LAE in aqueous solution has also been evaluated. The results indicate that at 25℃, Lauroyl arginate ethyl ester has a half-life greater than 1 year at pH 4.
Lauroyl arginate ethyl ester is intended to be used as a preservative. The active ingredient of LAEPRO, is a cationic surfactant, which has a wide spectrum of activity against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria, yeasts and moulds. Specifically, Lauroyl arginate ethyl ester affects negatively charged compounds such as microbial proteins present in cellular membranes or enzyme systems. One consequence of the interaction between LAE and microorganisms is the denaturation of membrane proteins resulting in increased membrane permeability. This can result in the inhibition of growth or the death of the microorganism.