4. Conclusions
In this study, a series of new products with branched- and linear- fatty acid backbone and amino acid functional groups, namely fatty acid arginate, were successfully synthesized. The two-step synthetic is straightforward and provided an efficient overall yield of the desired products. The introduction of the lipid hydrophobic tail to the arginate hydrophilic head, protonated by hydrochloride, improved the water solubility of the lipid and, in most cases, it also improved their antimicrobial activity. The synthesized LAE has a similar antimicrobial activity against both Gram+ and Gram- bacteria as the commercial LAE product. However, its analogs are found to have antimicrobial property primarily against Gram+ bacteria. Future studies will focus on improving the antimicrobial property of the branched arginate compounds so that they can be useful as surfactant, antimicrobial and anti-static agents in cosmetic and toiletry formulations such as soaps, oral care products, and shampoos, in addition to being useful as a preservative in the food industry.