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Anacardic acids are phenolic lipids, chemical compounds found in the shell of the cashew nut (''Anacardium occidentale''). As they are closely related to urushiol, they also cause an allergic skin rash on contact, known as urushiol-induced contact dermatitis. Anacardic acid is a yellow liquid. It is partially miscible with ethanol and ether, but nearly immiscible with water. Chemically, anacardic acid is a mixture of several closely related organic compounds. Each consists of a salicylic acid substituted with an alkyl chain that has 15 or 17 carbon atoms. The alkyl group may be saturated or unsaturated; anacardic acid is a mixture of saturated and unsaturated molecules. The exact mixture depends on the species of the plant. The 15 carbon unsaturated side chain compound found in the cashew plant is lethal to Gram positive bacteria. Primarily used for tooth abscesses, it is also active against acne, some insects, tuberculosis, and MRSA. It is primarily found in foods such as cashew nuts, cashew apples, and cashew nutshell oil, but also in mangos and ''Pelargonium'' geraniums. ==Experimental antibacterial properties== |Section2= |Section3= }} The side chain with three unsaturated bonds was the most active against ''Streptococcus mutans'', the tooth decay bacterium, in test tube experiments. The number of unsaturated bonds was not material against ''Propionibacterium acnes'', the acne bacterium.〔Kubo I, Muroi H, & Himejima M. (1993) Structure - Antibacterial activity relationships of anacardic acids. Journal of Agricultural food Chemicals 41; 1016-1019, on p1018.〕 Eichbaum claims that a solution of one part anacardic acid to 200,000 parts water to as low as one part in 2,000,000 is lethal to Gram positive bacteria in 15 minutes ''in vitro''. Somewhat higher ratios killed tubercle bacteria of tuberculosis in 30 minutes.〔Eichbaum FW 1946 Biological properties of anacardic acid (O- pentadeca dienylsalicylic acid) and related compounds. General discussion-bactericidal action. «Memórias do Instituto Butantan», 19, pp. 71-86.〕 Heating these anacardic acids converts them to the alcohols (cardanols) with reduced activity compared to the acids. Decarboxylation, such as through heating done in most commercial oil processing, results in compounds with significantly reduced activity.〔Himejima M & Kubo I. 1991 Antibacterial agents from the cashew Anacardium occidentale (Anacardiaceae) nutshell oil. Journal of Agricultural Food Chemicals 39; 418-421, on p419.〕〔Patel NM Patel MS 1936 Cashew-nut shell oil and a study of the changes produced in the oil by the action of heat. Journal of the University of Bombay, Science: Physical Sciences, Mathematics, Biological Sciences, Medicine 5 (pt2) 114-131.〕 It is said that the people of the Gold Coast use cashew leaves and bark for a toothache.〔http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Anacardium_occidentale.html#Folk%20Medicine Cashew plants in folk medicine.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Anacardic acids」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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