N-octanoic acid is a colorless and transparent liquid. Relative density 0.908. The melting point is 16.5℃, the boiling point is 237℃, the refractive index is 1.4285, and the flash point is 106℃. Slightly soluble in hot water, soluble in most organic solvents, such as ethanol, ether, chloroform, benzene, carbon disulfide, petroleum ether and glacial acetic acid.
Applications of n-octanoic acid in antibacterial applications:
N-octanoic acid is a commonly used fungicide in nurseries. This is because the short carbon chains can easily penetrate yeast and fungal cell walls. The ability to attack yeast provides caprylic acid with a more complete functionality.
This fatty acid in capsule form can be used to combat Candida albicans. This bacteria can cause candida infections. Some amounts of this bacteria are present in almost all intestinal tracts, but their negative effects are minimized by the presence of lactobacillus bacteria. But when it’s imbalanced, it can cause problems such as indigestion, abdominal pain or itching. Caprylic acid tablets work to combat Candida by dissolving their cell walls, making them semi-permeable. This in turn can cause their cytoplasm to leak, causing cell death.
After Candida dies, there is usually a period of severe symptoms before improvement. This is a large release of yeast toxins into the system all at once, causing headaches, nausea and severe diarrhea.
Octanoic acid is easily absorbed by the body, making it very difficult to treat candida infections. Typically, this acid is absorbed by the stomach or small intestine before reaching the large intestine, the main source of infection. To solve this problem, many caprylic acid capsules are designed to be released slowly so that the antibacterial properties are not wasted.