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Review
. 2024 Jun 20;16(6):e62770.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.62770. eCollection 2024 Jun.

Biomedical Applications of Lauric Acid: A Narrative Review

Ameena M  1 , Meignana Arumugham I  2 , Karthikeyan Ramalingam  1 , Rajeshkumar Shanmugam  3
Affiliations
Review

Biomedical Applications of Lauric Acid: A Narrative Review

Ameena M et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Lauric acid, a major component of coconut oil, has been studied for its various health benefits over the years. Lauric acid is a medium-chained fatty acid with several potential biomedical applications based on its antimicrobial action, capacity for drug delivery, tissue engineering scaffolds, and cleansing capabilities. Various studies are carried out in vitro and in vivo using experimental animals, such as rats, shedding light on the efficacy of lauric acid. The studies related to lauric acid were brought under one umbrella and emphasized the need for further research to explore the efficacy of lauric acid in human health. This review aims to scientifically assess the reported data and present a narrative review on lauric acid in medicine.

Keywords: anticancer agents; antihypertensive; antimicrobial; antitumour; biomedical; coconut oil; hypolipidemic; lauric acid; oral cavity cancer; oral diseases.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Lauric acid structure
Image credit - Ameena M, Rajeshkumar S
Figure 2
Figure 2. Metabolism of lauric acid
Figure 3
Figure 3. Biomedical applications of lauric acid
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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