MONOLAURIN, HERPES VIRUSES & COLD SORES

Tall coconut palm tree with fruit against a blue sky.

This page is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice or as a recommendation for treatment of any kind. The owners and employees of the manufacturer of MonolaurX™ have no relationships, endorsements or affiliation with any of the references listed.

Monolaurin has been studied for over 40 years regarding its antiviral activity against a number of viruses, namely enveloped viruses like herpes. The herpesviruses are discussed herein as they are responsible for the majority of viral related skin conditions. Common herpesvirus skin disorders include cold sores/ fever blisters, genital herpes infections and shingles outbreaks. Monolaurin is not a treatment for herpesvirus lesions.

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MONOLAURIN - ANTIVIRAL PROPERTIES

Monolaurin has been shown to immobilize numerous viruses, including the herpesviruses in laboratory settings. No human tests have been reported.

MONOLAURIN - VARIOUS NAMES

Monolaurin is called by different names, but each one refers to the same molecular compound.

Glycerol Monolaurate, typically abbreviated as GML

The following are rarely found in literature and noted here for reference.

Glyceryl Laurate; 1-Lauroyl-Glycerol; Distilled Monoglyceride; Glycerin Monolaurate,

Monoglycerol Laurate, Lauric Acid Monoglyceride

MONOLAURIN, A KEY INGREDIENT IN MOTHER'S MILK

Monolaurin is a key ingredient in mother's milk, comprising about 5-6% of all fats in milk.

MONOLAURIN - ACTIVELY PRODUCED BY THE BODY

Coconut oil contains lauric acid at a level of about 45%. When it is topically applied to the skin there are enzymes that convert it to monolaurin. When coconut oil is ingested, the lauric acid is converted in the digestive tract to monolaurin. It is yet further produced in mother's milk. The fact that the body actively produces monolaurin indicates its importance as a beneficial compound, and its safety.

COCONUT OIL

Coconut oil is commonly used in skin care products as it helps protect the skin. It has also been touted as a topical agent for cold sores, so you might ask as to why coconut oil is not used more commonly to treat cold sores. After all, when coconut oil is applied on the skin the lauric acid component can be converted to GML. In that case it would be expected that coconut oil would be very effective against HSV1 cold sores, but it is not. The reasons for this are as follows.

First, coconut oil has other fatty acids besides lauric acid, which prevent absorption of lauric acid. We know this, because if you simply apply coconut oil to the skin an oily residue remains – it is not fully absorbed. The result is that the lauric acid cannot penetrate deep into a viral sore.

Second, the conversion of lauric acid to GML is done by lipase enzymes in the deepest layers of skin tissue, but these are present at low concentration. Because lauric acid from coconut oil is not well absorbed and the converting enzymes are buried deep at a low concentration, the result is an inadequate amount of GML that can be produced with topically applied coconut oil. This greatly minimizes the chance for any noticeable benefits.

MONOLAURIN AS A DETERGENT

Monolaurin (GML) is a surfactant molecule, and in that respect, it has detergent properties. Because it is found in and sourced from nature, it is referred to herein as a bio-detergent.

To understand how monolaurin works as a bio-detergent, means understanding the basics of a soap and/or detergent. Cleaning agents, e.g., soaps and detergents have, as their primary active component, a molecular compound called a surfactant. Surfactants have a direct effect on the outer protective envelopes (membranes) of viruses, as well as bacterial and fungal membranes. They physically interdigitate into microbial membranes and viral envelopes, which disrupts and destabilizes such viral envelopes. Detergents bind to membrane components causing expansion and subsequent formation of pores on their surface until they completely fragment. (Dresser, '22). The membrane-targeting mechanism leads to loss of viral integrity and reduces infectivity. This effect is general and is noted against a wide range of enveloped viruses, including herpesviruses, COVID coronavirus, influenza, HIV, and others.

In laboratory studies monolaurin was shown to have broad antimicrobial/ antiviral activity (for more details go to Headline Tooblar "MORE"). Research indicates it interacts with and disrupts lipid membranes, such as the envelopes of numerous viruses. Note, this effect is identical to how synthetic soaps and detergents function. Such envelope disruption by soaps and detergents breaks down the viral particles and this allows them to be lifted off of a surface, i.e., skin, which essentially cleans the skin surface. Just as for synthetic soaps and detergents, one can anticipate that monolaurin, a surfactant, acting as a soap or detergent, can also lead to reduced viral infectivity of enveloped viruses, such as the herpesviruses.

Numerous published research articles document that medium and long chain fatty acids and their derivatives/ esters and those fats present in breast milk:

(1) have antiviral activity, as well as antibacterial and antifungal efficacy, and

(2) are particularly active against enveloped viruses.

INDEPENDENT REPORTS ON MONOLAURIN

An extensive list of References is noted under the Headline "More"

CLICK THE TOOLBAR "MORE" FOR REFERENCES PERTAINING TO

MONOLAURIN ANTIMICROBIAL EFFICACY

DETERGENT & SURFACTANT EFFECTS ON VIRAL ENVELOPES

An extensive list of References can be found under the Headline "More"

CLICK THE TOOLBAR "MORE" FOR REFERENCES PERTAINING TO

MONOLAURIN ANTIMICROBIAL EFFICACY

HERPES WEBSITES

The following links are provided for informational purposes only. Be careful where you get your information. A lot of good information is available in these links covering broad aspects of Herpes Simplex Virus infections, both oral (cold sores/ fever blisters) and genital. Instead of rewriting what has already been covered, we suggest the following (no order of importance) as a few good sites you may want to read for more background information. We encourage you to do you own research and informational searches regarding herpes.

American Sexual Health Association - good summary of herpes Fast Facts on the following website.

https://www.ashasexualhealth.org/herpes/

CDC (Federal government Center for Disease Control)

https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment-guidelines/herpes.htm

https://www.cdc.gov/herpes/about/

Journal of the American Medical Association

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2822474

MedLine Plus (NIH, National Library of Medicine) - Cold Sores (Fever Blisters, Oral Herpes)

https://medlineplus.gov/coldsores.html

MedShun is a blog about medical care. Good statistics and background information.

https://medshun.com/article/is-a-cold-sore-common

At-home test for HSV using PCR swabs.