[Comparative studies on the antimicrobial activity of alpha, beta-unsaturated aldehydes (author's transl)]

A number of alpha, beta-unsaturated aldehydes were tested under standardized conditions for their antimicrobial activity against bacteria, yeast, fungi, spores and mycobacteria. It was found that the germistatic activity of the unbranched compounds is some what better than that of the branched ones. The germicidal activity is significantly depending on the structure of the aldehydes, alpha-alkyl substituted compounds showing the best results. Compounds with high activity and a broad activity spectrum are 2-ethyl-hexen-2al, 2-isopropyl-5-methyl-hexen-2-al and 2-propyl-hepten-2-al, these compounds are specially active against spores and mycobacteria.