N-Acetylmuramic acid

N-acetylmuramic acid is a component of the bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan, essential for maintaining cell shape and integrity^[1]. N-acetylmuramic acid inhibits spore germination by inhibiting a coat-associated hexosaminidase and a core enzyme^[2]. N-acetylmuramic acid is required by Bacteroides forsythus for proliferation and the maintenance of its cell shape^[3]. N-Acetylmuramic acid inhibits the p38 MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway, and exhibits anti-inflammatory activity. N-Acetylmuramic acid is orally active^[4]. In Vitro:N-Acetylmuramic acid (0.1-10 mg/L, 5 days) destroys the cell wall, enables the normal growth of B. forsythus and the formation of a typical filamentous morphology^[3].
N-Acetylmuramic acid (100-300 μg/mL, 18 h) reduces the expressions of iNOS and COX-2, inhibits and the secretion of TNF-α and IL-1β in LPS (HY-D1056)-stimulated RAW264.7 cell^[4].
In Vivo:N-Acetylmuramic acid (10-40 mg/kg, po, once daily for 25 days) inhibits E. coli-induced intestinal villus edema and thickening in mice, exhibits anti-inflammatory activity^[4].