Compendium of the most significant studies with reference to properties, intake, effects.
Bechstein DV, Popp J, Sudhaus-Joern N, Krischek C. Effect of ethyl-lauroyl-arginate hypochloride in combination with high hydrostatic pressure processing on the microbial load and physico-chemical characteristics of minced and portioned chicken breast meat. Poult Sci. 2019 Feb 1;98(2):966-976. doi: 10.3382/ps/pey427.
Abstract. Aim of the study was to analyze if effects of ethyl-Nα-lauroyl-L-arginate hypochloride and high hydrostatic pressure alone and in combination on the C. jejuni concentrations and on different meat quality parameters could be found.
Nerin, C., Becerril, R., Manso, S., & Silva, F. (2016). Ethyl lauroyl arginate (LAE): Antimicrobial activity and applications in food systems. In Antimicrobial food packaging (pp. 305-312). Academic Press.
Abstract. The use of ethyl lauroyl arginate (LAE) as an antimicrobial and food preservative is currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), respectively. Due to this fact, in recent years, there has been a great focus on the possible application of this compound to food systems. In this chapter, although an overview on LAE synthesis, properties, stability, metabolism, and toxicity is provided, a special emphasis is given to this compound’s antimicrobial activity and mode of action, as well as its application in food systems.
Ruckman SA, Rocabayera X, Borzelleca JF, Sandusky CB. Toxicological and metabolic investigations of the safety of N-alpha-lauroyl-L-arginine ethyl ester monohydrochloride (LAE). Food Chem Toxicol. 2004 Feb;42(2):245-59. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2003.08.022.
Abstract. Studies were conducted to assess the safety of N-alpha-lauroyl-L-arginine ethyl ester monohydrochloride, (LAE), a novel food preservative, or Mirenat-N (a 25% solution of LAE in propylene glycol). Short term studies demonstrated low acute toxicity. LAE was shown to have mild dermal irritation effects but neither LAE nor Mirenat-N are skin sensitizers. LAE was demonstrated to be a severe eye irritant. In two 13-week feeding studies in rats, systemic NOAELs were established for LAE at 15,000 ppm and for Mirenat-N at 50,000 ppm. There were no signs of neurotoxicity with LAE after 13-weeks at dietary levels as high as 50,000 ppm. Embryo-fetal studies with LAE in rats and rabbits showed no developmental effects at oral gavage doses up to 2000 and 1000 mg/kg/day for rats and rabbits, respectively. NOAELs for systemic maternal effects (reduced food intake and body weights in rabbits) were 2000 mg/kg/day for rats and 300 mg/kg/day for rabbits. In a battery of 5 in vitro genotoxicity tests with LAE or Mirenat-N, neither material was observed to have genotoxic (clastogenic or mutagenic) activity. Metabolism studies with LAE show that it is rapidly metabolized to the amino acid arginine by hydrolysis of the ethyl ester and lauroyl amide functions. The arginine subsequently enters the naturally occurring urea cycle where it is further metabolized to ornithine and urea and eventually to CO(2) through normal mammalian biochemical pathways. The other product of LAE cleavage is lauric acid, which is a human dietary component found in many plant sources, and as such, would enter into normal fatty acid metabolism.
Aznar M, Gómez-Estaca J, Vélez D, Devesa V, Nerín C. Migrants determination and bioaccessibility study of ethyl lauroyl arginate (LAE) from a LAE based antimicrobial food packaging material. Food Chem Toxicol. 2013 Jun;56:363-70. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2013.02.018.
Abstract. Ethyl lauroyl arginate (LAE, ethyl-N-dodecanoyl-L-arginate hydrochloride) is a strong antimicrobial agent that was included as an active compound in an antimicrobial food packaging material. The potential existence of non-intentionally added substances (NIASs) such as impurities must therefore be checked before launching any food contact material onto the market. For this reason, an untargeted analysis of the migration was performed in both food simulants and fresh chicken breast fillets wrapped with the active material.
Fu Y, Deering AJ, Bhunia AK, Yao Y. Pathogen biofilm formation on cantaloupe surface and its impact on the antibacterial effect of lauroyl arginate ethyl. Food Microbiol. 2017 Jun;64:139-144. doi: 10.1016/j.fm.2016.12.020.
Abstract. Pathogen biofilm at fruit surface may pose a particular risk to food safety. In this study, the biofilms of Listeria monocytogenes V7 and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ATCC 13311 on cantaloupe fruit surface were visualized, and the resistance of biofilms against lauroyl arginate ethyl (LAE, an antibacterial compound) was evaluated. Each bacterium was inoculated on isolated cantaloupe rind surfaces at 105-106 CFU/cm2 and after incubation for 2, 12, 24, and 48 h, the surfaces were imaged using cryo-scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM). The images showed that both pathogens formed biofilms on rind surfaces, with S. Typhimurium forming biofilm in 12 h and L. monocytogenes cells starting to aggregate in 2 h. For the inoculated rind surfaces treated with LAE, the cell counts were affected by both the incubation time and LAE concentration. For rind surface with 2 h incubation of S. Typhimurium, 400 and 800 μg/mL LAE was able to achieve >2.00 log reduction; however, 12 h incubation required 1600 and 2000 μg/mL LAE for >2.00 log reduction. In contrast, even the highest LAE concentration (2000 μg/mL) was unable to cause 1.00 log reduction for L. monocytogenes regardless the incubation time applied. The results showed that the biofilms of both bacteria substantially reduced LAE efficacy, and that the biofilm of L. monocytogenes was more resistant than that of S. Typhimurium.
Zhuang S, Li Y, Hong H, Liu Y, Shu R, Luo Y. Effects of ethyl lauroyl arginate hydrochloride on microbiota, quality and biochemical changes of container-cultured largemouth bass (Micropterus salmonides) fillets during storage at 4 °C. Food Chem. 2020 Sep 15;324:126886. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.126886.
Abstract. This study aimed to investigate preservative effects of ethyl lauroyl arginate hydrochloride (LAE) on microbiota, quality, and physiochemical changes of container-cultured largemouth bass fillets stored at 4 °C. The results showed LAE treatment was effective in reducing bacterial growth and attenuating physiochemical changes (flesh color, trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-soluble peptides, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), ammonia concentration, and biogenic amines) of bass fillets, while had relatively weak effect on the degradation of ATP-related compounds.
Czakaj, A., Jarek, E., Krzan, M., & Warszyński, P. (2021). Ethyl lauroyl arginate, an inherently multicomponent surfactant system. Molecules, 26(19), 5894.
Abstract. There are only a limited number of reports considering the mechanism of surface activity of LAE. Thus, we analysed the surface tension isotherm of LAE with analytical standard purity in relation to LAE after prolonged storage.
Ethyl lauroyl arginate Hcl 
