Antimicrobial compositions and methods

1. An antimicrobial composition comprising:

an effective amount of an antimicrobial lipid component comprising a (C8-C12)saturated fatty acid ester of a polyhydric alcohol, a (C12-C22)unsaturated fatty acid ester of a polyhydric alcohol, a (C8-C12)saturated fatty ether of a polyhydric alcohol, a (C12-C22)unsaturated fatty ether of a polyhydric alcohol, an alkoxylated derivative thereof, or combinations thereof, wherein the alkoxylated derivative has less than 5 moles of alkoxide per mole of polyhydric alcohol; with the proviso that for polyhydric alcohols other than sucrose, the esters comprise monoesters and the ethers comprise monoethers, and for sucrose the esters comprise monoesters, diesters, or combinations thereof, and the ethers comprise monoethers, diethers, or combinations thereof; wherein for monoesters, monoethers, or alkoxylated derivatives thereof, there is no more than 15 wt-% of a diester, diether, triester, triether, or alkoxylated derivatives thereof present, based on the total weight of the antimicrobial lipid components present in the composition;

an effective amount of an enhancer component comprising an alpha-hydroxy acid, a beta-hydroxy acid, a chelating agent, a (C1-C4)alkyl carboxylic acid, a (C6-C12)aryl carboxylic acid, a (C6-C12)aralkyl carboxylic acid, a (C6-C12)alkaryl carboxylic acid, a phenolic compound, a (C1-C10)alkyl alcohol, an ether glycol, or combinations thereof;

a surfactant; and

a hydrophilic component other than water, wherein the hydrophilic component other than water forms the greatest portion of the composition by weight;

and wherein the composition contains less than 10 wt-% water when ready to use.

2. The antimicrobial composition of claim 1 , wherein the antimicrobial lipid is present in an amount of at least 0.5 wt-% and no greater than 20 wt-%.

3. The antimicrobial composition of claim 1 , wherein the C8-C12 saturated fatty acid ester of a polyhydric alcohol in the antimicrobial lipid is a C8-C12 alkyl monoesters of glycerin and propylene glycol, and the C8-C12 saturated fatty acid ether of a polyhydric alcohol is C8-C12 alkyl monoethers of glycerin and propylene glycol.

4. The antimicrobial composition of claim 1 , wherein the antimicrobial lipid component comprises glycerol monolaurate, glycerol monocaprate, glycerol monocaprylate, propylene glycol monolaurate, propylene glycol monocaprate, propylene glycol monocaprylate, or combinations thereof.

5. The antimicrobial composition of claim 1 , wherein the enhancer component is present in an amount of 0.4 wt-% to 20 wt-%.

6. The antimicrobial composition of claim 5 , wherein the total concentration of the enhancer component relative to the total amount of the antimicrobial lipid component is within a range of 5:1 and 1:10, on a weight basis.

7. The antimicrobial composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant is present in an amount of at least 0.1 wt-% and no greater than 10 wt-%.

8. The antimicrobial composition of claim 7 , wherein the surfactant is present in an amount of 0.1 wt-% to 2 wt-%, and wherein the ratio of the total concentration of the surfactant to the total concentration of antimicrobial lipid component is within a range of 2:1 to 1:3, on a weight basis.

9. The antimicrobial composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant comprises a sulfonate, a sulfate, a phosphonate, a phosphate, a poloxamer, a cationic surfactant, or mixtures thereof.

10. The antimicrobial composition of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophilic component includes a polyhydric alcohol, a lower alcohol ether, a short chain ester, and combinations thereof, and wherein the hydrophilic component is soluble in water in an amount of at least 20 wt-% at 23° C.

11. The antimicrobial composition of claim 1 , further comprising a hydrophobic component.

12. The antimicrobial composition of claim 11 , wherein the hydrophobic component is an organic compound that is liquid, gelatinous, semisolid, or solid at 23° C. and has a solubility in water of less than 5 wt-% at 23° C.

13. The antimicrobial composition of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophilic component is selected from glycerol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, pentaerythritol, trimethylolpropane, trimethylolethane, trimethylolbutane, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, pantothenol, ethylene glycol adducts of polyhydric alcohol, propylene oxide adducts of polyhydric alcohol, 1,3-butanediol, dipropylene glycol, diglycerine, polyglycerine, erythritol, sorbitan, sugars, sugar alcohols, or combinations thereof.

14. The antimicrobial composition of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophilic component has a solubility in water of at least 20 wt-% at 23° C.

15. The antimicrobial composition of claim 1 , wherein the viscosity of the composition is at least 500 cps.

16. The antimicrobial composition of claim 1 , wherein the viscosity of the composition is at least 1,000 cps.

17. The antimicrobial composition of claim 1 , wherein the viscosity of the composition is at least 10,000 cps.

18. An antimicrobial composition comprising:

an effective amount of an antimicrobial lipid component having a solubility in water of at least 100 μg/100 g deionized water and at most 1 g/100 g deionized water;

an effective amount of an enhancer component that includes an alpha-hydroxy acid, a beta-hydroxy acid, a chelating agent, a (C1-C4)alkyl carboxylic acid, a (C6-C12)aryl carboxylic acid, a (C6-C12)aralkyl carboxylic acid, a (C6-C12)alkaryl carboxylic acid, a phenolic compound, a (C1-C10)alkyl alcohol, an ether glycol, or combinations thereof;

a surfactant distinct from the antimicrobial lipid component; and

a hydrophilic component other than water, wherein the hydrophilic component other than water forms the greatest portion of the composition by weight;

and wherein the composition contains less than 10 wt-% water when ready to use.