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. " *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html