CAS 4455-13-4: Ethyl (methylthio)acetate

Ethyl 2-(methylthio)acetate is a natural product that is found in cantaloupe. It has been shown to have antibacterial properties, and can be used as a preservative in food products. Ethyl 2-(methylthio)acetate exhibits antimicrobial activity against human pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus, with high inhibitory concentration values at low concentrations. The mechanism of action for this compound is not yet known. It is thought that it may act by binding to the anilines on bacterial cell walls, or by interacting with the chloride ions on the surface of bacteria. This product can be detected using gel permeation chromatography and photometric assays, and has been shown to inhibit the growth of Listeria monocytogenes in vitro at concentrations ranging from 10-6 to 10-2 M.

Ethyl (methylthio)acetate is used as an internal standard during the analytical determination of volatile sulfur compounds in port wines. Further, it is used as food flavors. This Thermo Scientific Chemicals brand product was originally part of the Alfa Aesar product portfolio. Some documentation and label information may refer to the legacy brand. The original Alfa Aesar product / item code or SKU reference has not changed as a part of the brand transition to Thermo Scientific Chemicals.

Ethyl (methylthio)acetate

Ethyl 2-(methylthio)acetate is a reagent that can be used as a building block for the synthesis of complex compounds. It is an important intermediate in the production of fine chemicals, useful scaffolds and speciality chemicals. Ethyl 2-(methylthio)acetate is also a versatile building block that can be used in reactions such as cycloaddition reactions, ring-opening polymerization reactions, and as a reaction component for chemical syntheses.