Identification of the n-1 fatty acid as an antibacterial constituent from the edible freshwater cyanobacterium Nostoc verrucosum.

The cyanobacterium Nostoc verrucosum occurs in cool, clear streams and its gelatinous colonies, called "ashitsuki," have been eaten in ancient Japan. Its ethanolic extract was found to inhibit the growth of Gram-positive bacteria and activity-guided fractionation yielded an unusual n-1 fatty acid, (9Z,12Z)-9,12,15-hexadecatrienoic acid (1), as one of the active principles. It inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus at MIC 64 μg/mL.