STUDIES ON THE IN VITRO ANTITUMOR ACTIVITY OF FATTY ACIDS: III. SATURATED MONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS

Abstract

Previous studies on the in vitro antitumor activity of 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid from royal jelly and of saturated dibasic fatty acids have been extended to a series of saturated monocarboxylic acids ranging from C3to C18. A widespread ability to inhibit the development of the ascites forms of the 6C3HED lymphosarcoma, Ehrlich carcinoma, and TA3mammary carcinoma has been found under acid pH conditions. In general, the antitumor activity of the saturated monocarboxylic acids was most pronounced in compounds with a carbon chain length of C8to C14. One member of this series, capric (decanoic) acid, was found to possess marked antitumor activity at physiological pH.