Just thought this patent might be worth mentioning during this discussion of
the storage of human milk.  Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC

http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html

Patent # 5434182
Inventor:  Charles Isaacs, et al.

"Anitbacterial fatty acid compositions"

"As reported in C. E. Isaacs et al., Membrane Disruptive Effect of Human
Milk: Inactivation of Enveloped Viruses, J. Infect. Dis., 1986, Vol. 154, p.
966-971, specifically incorporated herein by reference, the work of Welsh et
al. (II) has been confirmed and extended. It was shown that lipids from fresh
breast milk are not antiviral but become active against enveloped viruses
upon storage at 4.degree. C. and in infant stomachs, probably by the release
of fatty acids from milk triglycerides.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide fatty acids and monoglycerides
having spermicidal, antimicrobial, and cytocidal activity.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a method of killing sperm,
inactivating microorganisms, or killing cells by contact with fatty acids and
monoglycerides.

It is a further object of the invention to provide pharmaceutical
compositions for killing sperm, microorganisms, or cells consisting
essentially of inert pharmaceutical carrier and a spermicidal, an antiviral,
or a cytocidal component consisting of a spermicidal, antiviral, or cytocidal
effective amount of one or more compounds selected from the group consisting
of C.sub.4 to C.sub.14 fatty acids and monoglycerides thereof and C.sub.14 to
C.sub.22 mono- or polyunsaturated fatty acids and monoglycerides thereof.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the
discussion below.

DISCUSSION

Many viruses that are virulent human pathogens have envelopes (pieces of
membranes surrounding them). These include the AIDS virus (human
immunodeficiency virus, HIV), and herpes viruses, including herpes simplex
virus (HSV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV),
Varicella/Zoster (VZ), Marek's disease virus, equine abortion virus, and
pseudorabies virus. The viral envelope is essential for infectivity. While
many compounds are able to destroy the envelope and inactivate the virus, a
large number have toxic side effects in the body. Fatty acids and
monoglycerides are normal metabolites in the body, notably formed during the
breakdown of milk products. It has been found that fatty acids and/or
monoglycerides may be successfully used for antiviral and/or antibacterial
activities.

Lipids in fresh milk do not inactivate viruses but become antiviral after
storage of the milk for a few days at 4.degree. or 23.degree. C. The
appearance of antiviral activity depends upon active milk lipases and
correlates with the release of free fatty acids in the milk. A number of
fatty acids which are normal components of milk lipids were tested against
enveloped viruses, i.e., vesicular stomatitis virus, herpes simplex virus,
and visna virus, and against a nonenveloped virus, poliovirus. Short-chain
and long-chain saturated fatty acids had no or a very small antiviral effect
at the highest concentrations tested. Medium-chain saturated and long-chain
unsaturated fatty acids, on the other hand, were all highly active against
the enveloped viruses, although the fatty acid concentration required for
maximum viral inactivation varied by as much as 20-fold. Monoglycerides of
these fatty acids were also highly antiviral, in some instances at a
concentration 10 times lower than that of the free fatty acids. None of the
fatty acids inactivated poliovirus. Antiviral fatty acids were found to
affect the viral envelope, causing leakage and at higher concentrations, a
complete disintegration of the envelope and the viral particles. They also
caused disintegration of the plasma membranes of tissue culture cells
resulting in cell lysis and death. The same phenomenon occurred in cell
cultures incubated with stored antiviral human milk. The antimicrobial effect
of human milk lipids in vitro is therefore most likely caused by
disintegration of cellular and viral membranes by fatty acids. "



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