Inhibition of Escherichia coli by dimethyl fumarate.

The antibacterial activity of dimethyl fumarate (DMF) and six other compounds against Escherichia coli (E. coli, K12) was investigated in culture media and compared. DMF was found to be more efficient than any other compound at the concentration of 200 ppm. The inhibitory activity of DMF against E. coli increased with increasing concentration of DMF. DMF also exhibited more obvious inhibition against E. coli at the initial growth phase than at other phases. The antibacterial ability of DMF showed low stability to heat processing but was less sensitive to pH values. Under conditions of restricted availability of oxygen, E. coli was more sensitive to DMF. The results indicate that DMF may be a potentially effective alternative antimicrobial agent to inhibit E. coli.