Caprylic acid is a fatty acid with eight carbons in its structure, and its systematic name (IUPAC name) is octanoic acid. It is a natural constituent of milk of most of the mammals. It is also found in palm kernel oil and coconut oil, but in a small amount only. Caprylic acid is oily in nature and hence hardly soluble in water. It has a rancid-like, unpleasant odor.
Availability
Caprylic acid is available in the form of herbal, natural or botanical dietary supplements. These dietary supplements can be taken in the form of tablets, pills or capsules. Normally, the caprylic acid is extracted from the coconut oil, because coconut oil is cheaper than any other source of caprylic acid.
Intake
As caprylic acid is lipid soluble, individuals should take it along with some kind of dietary fat such as salad oil or butter. Caprylic acid can also be taken in a meal filled with enough essential oils such as fish oil, omega-3 fatty acid and flax seed oil. Caprylic acid is easily and rapidly assimilated in the body. Therefore, it becomes necessary to slow its assimilation in order to make it distribute evenly in all the body parts. To achieve this, manufacturers produce the caprylic acid in the form of a formula that facilitates the slow release of caprylic acid into the digestive system.
Medicinal Value
Many doctors prefer caprylic acid over Nystatin, a prescription drug used for controlling the spread of candida albicans, a yeast-like fungal organism found in the normal human intestinal tract. According to FungusFocus.com, "Caprylic acid is a short chain of fatty acid that has been known to possess anti-fungal activity for over 40 years." It shows intense fungicidal activity against the yeasts in an environment with pH levels of 2.5 to 8.5. The mechanism behind the fungicidal activity is still not clear, yet it is postulated that caprylic acid changes the permeability as well as the fluidity of the yeast membrane by causing the dissolution of membrane components. It is also used for the treatment of some bacterial infections.
Toxicity
There is no known toxicity of caprylic acid, and it is generally observed to be safe. NaturalStandard.com reports that "The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved caprylic acid as generally recognizable as safe (GRAS) status." However, it can cause some mild gastrointestinal disorders, e.g., diarrhea and nausea. People with the vulnerability of upset stomachs are advised not to take caprylic acid supplements. Such people include children, nursing mothers, infants and pregnant women.
Other Uses
Caprylic acid is mostly used in the production of dyes and esters. It also acts as an antimicrobial pesticide and the commercial food preserving establishments make the best use of this property in food contact surface sanitization, e.g., food processing equipment, beverage processing plants, dairy equipments, wineries and breweries. Caprylic acid is applied as a disinfectant in health care facilities, hotels, livestock premises, offices, schools, colleges and industrial and recreational facilities.
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