Antimicrobial Effects of Virgin Coconut Oil and Its Medium-Chain Fatty Acids on Clostridium difficile
Abstract
Clostridium difficile is the leading cause of hospital-acquired antibiotic-associated diarrhea worldwide; in addition, the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant C. difficile is becoming a significant problem. Virgin coconut oil (VCO) has been shown previously to have the antimicrobial activity. This study evaluates the lipid components of VCO for the control of C. difficile. VCO and its most active individual fatty acids were tested to evaluate their antimicrobial effect on C. difficile in vitro. The data indicate that exposure to lauric acid (C12) was the most inhibitory to growth (P<.001), as determined by a reduction in colony-forming units per milliliter. Capric acid (C10) and caprylic acid (C8) were inhibitory to growth, but to a lesser degree. VCO did not inhibit the growth of C. difficile; however, growth was inhibited when bacterial cells were exposed to 0.15-1.2% lipolyzed coconut oil. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed the disruption of both the cell membrane and the cytoplasm of cells exposed to 2 mg/mL of lauric acid. Changes in bacterial cell membrane integrity were additionally confirmed for VCO and select fatty acids using Live/Dead staining. This study demonstrates the growth inhibition of C. difficile mediated by medium-chain fatty acids derived from VCO.
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Lauric acid in virgin coconut oil has been reported to inhibit the growth of C. difficile, as have capric and caprylic acids present in coconut oil.
“Lauric acid in virgin coconut oil has been reported to inhibit the growth of C. difficile (Shilling et al., 2013) as well as inhibition of C. difficile by capric and caprylic acids also present in coconut oil.”
From The use of High-Pressure Processing (HPP) to improve the safety and quality of raw coconut (Cocos nucifera L) water (2020) · cites this paper as Shilling et al., 2013
Lipids affect the gut microbiota both as substrates for bacterial metabolic processes and by inhibiting bacterial growth by toxic influence.
“Lipids affect the gut microbiota both as substrates for bacterial metabolic processes, and by inhibiting bacterial growth by toxic influence.”
From Dietary lipids, gut microbiota and lipid metabolism (2019) · cites this paper as [15]
Fatty acids have a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity including lysis and solubilization of bacterial cell membranes and inhibition of ATP production.
“Fatty acids have a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity including lysis and solubilization of bacterial cell membranes [14, 15] and inhibition of ATP production [16].”
From Dietary lipids, gut microbiota and lipid metabolism (2019) · cites this paper as [15]
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Mat, K., Abdul Kari, Z., Rusli, N. D., Che Harun, H., Wei, L. S., Rahman, M. M., Mohd Khalid, H. N., Mohd Ali Hanafiah, M. H., Mohamad Sukri, S. A., Raja Khalif, R. I. A., et al. (2022) · Animals · doi:10.3390/ani12162107 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
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- Authors
- Shilling, M., Matt, L., Rubin, E., Visitacion, M. P., Haller, N. A., Grey, S. F., & Woolverton, C. J.
- Affiliations
- Kent State University (US)
- Cleveland Clinic Akron General (US)
- Corresponding author
- Woolverton, Christopher J.
- Venue
- Journal of Medicinal Food
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2013-12
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 1079-1085
- ISSN
- 1096-620X (ISSN-L)
- 1557-7600
- OpenAlex
- W2104878413
- Cited by
- 143
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 3
- FWCI
- 1.26
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Medicinal Food (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Inorganic Chemistry › Coconut Research and Applications
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Essential Oils and Antimicrobial Activity
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens research
- Keywords
- virgin coconut oil, Clostridium difficile, medium-chain fatty acids, lauric acid, capric acid, octanoic acid, antimicrobial activity, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, bacterial membrane disruption, plasma membrane integrity, growth inhibition
- MeSH terms
- Coconut Oil, Anti-Bacterial Agents, Caprylates, Decanoic Acids, Fatty Acids, Lauric Acids, Metronidazole, Plant Oils, Colony Count, Microbial, Clostridioides difficile, Drug Resistance, Bacterial, Microscopy, Electron, Transmission, Microbial Viability
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