Microbial conversion of some natural unsaturated fatty acids can produce polyhydroxy fatty acids, giving them new properties, such as higher viscosity and reactivity. Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been intensively studied to produce a novel 7,10-dihydroxy-8(E)-octadecenoic acid (DOD) from oleic acid and natural vegetable oils containing oleic acid. Recently, the antibacterial activities of DOD against food-borne pathogenic bacteria were reported; however, the action of such antibacterial properties against eucaryotic cells remains poorly known. In this study, we determined the antifungal activities of DOD against Malassezia furfur KCCM 12679 quantitatively and qualitatively. The antifungal activity of DOD against M. furfur KCCM 12679 was approximately five times higher than that of ketoconazole, a commercial antifungal agent. The MIC 90 value of DOD against M. furfur KCCM 12679 was 50 µg/mL. In addition, we confirmed that the antifungal property of DOD was exerted through fungicidal activity.
Keywords: 7,10-dihydroxy-8(E)-octadecenoic acid; Malassezia furfur; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; antifungal activity; bioconversion; vegetable oil.