Undecylenic acid

Undecylenic acid demonstrated effectiveness against Candida albicans, which is an opportunistic pathogenic yeast with two cellular morphologies: the round yeast form and the filamentous form with elongated hyphae. Hyphae formation is associated with active infections and virulence. A study proposed that undecylenic acid inhibits biofilm formation of Candida albicans with optimal concentration above 3 mM and disrupts hyphal growth, which is the morphological transition from yeast to filamentous phase, at concentration above 4 mM. Under the drug treatment, hyphal formation related genes, like HWP1, were significantly reduced in transcriptional level leading to poor biofilm formation. Both biofilm and hyphae formation are critical virulence factors for the initiation of skin infection and late development of disseminated infection. Undecylenic acid may also inhibit enzyme involved in lipid metabolism and abolish germ tube formation by carrying protons across the plasma membrane, thus altering cytoplasmic pH.