Lauric Acid is a clear, solid compound that is insoluble in water. It also comes in the form of a white powdery substance. The chemical formula is C12H24O2. It has a molecular weight of 200.32 g/mol. Lauric Acid also has a melting point of 44 C and a boiling point of 289.9 C. It is a saturated fatty acid and is also known as a medium chain fatty acid because it contains 12 carbon atoms. Lauric acid is non-toxic to the human body and is most commonly known for its uses in medicine. Lauric acid reacts with the human body creating Monolaurin. The Monolaurin then has antifungal and antibiotic properties. Even before its scientific discovery, the oil from these seeds containing Lauric Acid was used to prevent insect stings and to help with digestion problems. Naturally found in many substances, Lauric Acid is easy to obtain, has a long shelf life, and is not dangerous to the human body. This property shows that it serves as a great natural medicine, which many people seek, compared to prescriptions and expensive chemically produced drugs.
Now, Lauric acid is known for its ability to destroy lipid-covered viruses. This includes the flu, HIV, HPV, and herpes. The monolaurin created by the human bodies’ reaction with Lauric Acid targets the membranes of lipid membranes of infections and fungus and destroying them. Lauric Acid has sanitizing and anti-viral properties. It is also very useful in treating skin infections on the human body. Lauric acid also is used in shampoo. It can dissolve fat allowing shampoo to remove grease from your hair. It is also known to be very beneficial in food. Lauric Acid in vegetable acid has been shown to have less of an effect on HDL or bad cholesterol and there have been plans on increasing amounts used. The
Bibliography: http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1138-LAURIC%20ACID.aspx?activeIngredientId=1138&activeIngredientName=LAURIC%20ACID http://www.sjlipids.com/c12.htm http://www.wolframalpha.com/entities/chemicals/lauric_acid/i7/jj/zi/ http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-04-20/entertainment/27062274_1_breast-milk-clinical-trials-acne http://www.naturalnews.com/026819_lauric_acid_coconut_oil_infections.html Thermal properties of lauric acid/1-tetradecanol binary system for energy storage By Jianguo Zuo; Weizhong Li; Lindong Weng. In Applied Thermal Engineering. 2011 31(6):1352-1355 Language: English. DOI: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2011.01.008, PLANT CELL, TISSUE AND ORGAN CULTURE Volume 106, Number 2, 317-327, DOI: 10.1007/s11240-011-9924-8