hereafter , each component used in the present antimicrobial composition will be described in detail . the antimicrobial composition of the present invention comprises at least one cooling agent selected from the group consisting of menthyl 3 - hydroxybutanoate , 2 - methyl - 3 -( 1 - menthoxy ) propane - 1 , 2 - diol , 2 -( menthoxy ) ethanol , 3 - menthoxypropan - 1 - ol , 2 -( 2 - menthoxyethoxy ) ethanol , and menthyl glyoxylate ( hereafter , the cooling agent in the present composition is sometime referred to as “ the present cooling agent ”). the present cooling agent has an unexpected remarkable antimicrobial activity . for example , when compared to a cooling agent other than the present cooling agent ( e . g . n - alkyl - p - menthane - 3 - carboxamide , n - methyl - 2 - isopropyl - 2 , 3 - dimethylbutanamide , menthol , 3 - menthoxypropane - 1 , 2 - diol and p - menthane - 3 , 8 - diol etc . ), it can be understood that the present cooling agent has a extraordinary antimicrobial activity . although the all present cooling agents can have growth inhibition activities against both aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms ( e . g . bacteria and fungi , etc . ), menthyl 3 - hydroxybutanoate and 3 - menthoxypropan - 1 - ol have specifically high growth inhibition activities and potent growth inhibition activities against both aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms . examples of microorganisms include corynebacterium , actinomyces and so on . menthyl 3 - hydroxybutanoate and 3 - menthoxypropan - 1 - ol have 2 to 8 times as much growth inhibition activity as 3 - menthoxypropane - 1 , 2 - diol ( which is known as an antimicrobial agent ), and can have more than or equal to 8 times as much growth inhibition activity as 3 - menthoxypropane - 1 , 2 - diol , depending on kinds of target microbe species . furthermore , when compared 2 - methyl - 3 -( menthoxy ) propane - 1 , 2 - diol with 3 - menthoxypropane - 1 , 2 - diol ( which is known as an antimicrobial agent ), the former has about 2 times as much growth inhibition activity as the latter , depending on kinds of target microbe species . therefore , it is further preferable that the present invention comprises at least one cooling agent selected from the group consisting of menthyl 3 - hydroxybutanoate , 2 - methyl - 3 -( 1 - menthoxy ) propane - 1 , 2 - diol , and 3 - menthoxypropan - 1 - ol . furthermore , it is preferable that menthyl 3 - hydroxybutanoate is used as the antimicrobial agent against porphyromonas such as porphyromonas gingivalis ( periodontal pathogen ), staphylococcus such as staphylococcus aureus ( skin flora ) and corynebacterium such as corynebacterium xerosis ( armpit odor - causing bacteria ), and it is preferable that 2 - methyl - 3 -( 1 - menthoxy ) propane - 1 , 2 - diol is used as the antimicrobial agent against staphylococcus such as staphylococcus aureus ( skin flora ). furthermore , 2 -( menthoxy ) ethanol and 2 -( 2 - menthoxyethoxy ) ethanol have the growth inhibition activity against anaerobic microorganisms specially , further specifically 2 -( menthoxy ) ethanol and 2 -( 2 - menthoxyethoxy ) ethanol have more than 2 times as much growth inhibition activity against propionibacterium acnes ( jcm6473 ) and ( atcc6919 ) as well as fusobacterium nucleatum as 3 - menthoxypropane - 1 , 2 - diol ( which is known as an antimicrobial agent ). furthermore , menthyl glyoxylate has 2 to 16 times or more than 16 times as much growth inhibition activity as 3 - menthoxypropane - 1 , 2 - diol ( which is known as an antimicrobial agent ), depending on kinds of target microbe species . the above cooling agents are readily commercially available , and can be synthesized by common methods . furthermore , it is preferable that the present antimicrobial composition further comprises at least one component selected from the group consisting of menthol , isopulegol , menthone , camphor , pulegol , cineol , mint oil , n - alkyl - p - menthane - 3 - carboxamide , p - menthane - 3 , 8 - diol , 4 - 1 - menthoxybutane - 1 - ol , 1 -( 2 - hydroxy - 4 - methyl - cyclohexyl )- ethanone , menthyl lactate , menthol glycerol ketal , n - methyl - 2 - isopropyl - 2 , 3 - dimethylbutanamide , menthyl succinate , menthyl glutarate , peppermint oil , eucalyptus oil , spearmint oil , vanillyl ethyl ether , vanillyl propyl ether , vanillin propylene glycol acetal , ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal , capsaicin , gingerol , vanillyl butyl ether , 4 -( 1 - menthoxy - methyl )- 2 - phenyl - 1 , 3 - dioxolane , 4 -( 1 - menthoxy - methyl )- 2 -( 3 ′, 4 ′- dihydroxy - phenyl )- 1 , 3 - dioxolane , 4 -( 1 - menthoxy methyl )- 2 -( 2 ′- hydroxy - 3 ′- methoxy - phenyl )- 1 , 3 - dioxolane , 4 -( 1 - menthoxy - methyl )- 2 -( 4 ′- methoxyphenyl )- 1 , 3 - dioxolane , 4 -( 1 - menthoxy - methyl )- 2 -( 3 ′, 4 ′- methylenedioxy - phenyl )- 1 , 3 - dioxolane , 4 -( 1 - methoxy - methyl )- 2 -( 3 ′- methoxy - 4 ′- hydroxyphenyl )- 1 , 3 - dioxolane , red pepper oil , red pepper oleoresin , vanillylamide nonylate , jambu oleoresin , japanese pepper extract , sanshool - i , sanshool - ii , sanshoamide , black pepper extract , chavicine , piperine and spilanthol ( hereafter , the component comprised in this group is sometime referred to as “ combined component ”). it is expected that in the present antimicrobial composition , the combined component will further enhance the antimicrobial activity of the present antimicrobial composition , as well as that the combined component will be able to provide and control pleasant cooling and heating sensations . furthermore , it is also possible to provide the desired antimicrobial activity synergistically by using the present cooling agent in combination with the following compound which is used widely as a typical antimicrobial agent : paraben , benzoic acids ( e . g . benzoic acid , sodium benzoate etc . ), salicylic acids , 1 , 2 - alkane diol , ester or ether of hydroxycarboxylic acid , benzalkonium chloride , benzethonium chloride , lysozyme chloride , halocarban , trichlorocarbanilide , chlorhexidine hydrochloride , isopropyl methyl phenol , aluminum phenol sulfonate , triclosan , chlorhexidine gluconate , a solution of sodium hydrogen sulfite , sodium sulfite ( crystal ), ( anhydrous ) sodium sulfite , udo extract , styrax japonica extract , artemisia capillaris extract , enzyme - degradable hatomugi ( adlay ) extract , sodium hyposulfite , milt protein extract , sorbic acid , potassium sorbate , thujaplicin ( extract ), sodium dehydroacetate , sulfur dioxide , isobutyl paraoxybenzoate , isopropyl paraoxybenzoate , ethyl paraoxybenzoate , butyl paraoxybenzoate , propyl paraoxybenzoate , potassium pyrosulfite , sodium pyrosulfitesodium , propionic acid , calcium propionate , sodium propionate , pectin degradation products , magnolia obovata extract , ε - polylysine , forsythia extract , allspice oil , origanum oil , orange oil , cassia oil , cumin oil , clove oil , coriander oil , perilla oil , citronella oil , cinnamon oil , calamus oil , sage oil , geranium oil , thyme oil , dill oil , tree moss oil , thujopsis dolabrata oil , pimento oil , fennel oil , bay oil , vetiver oil , penny royal oil , peru balsam oil , eucalyptus oil , lavender oil , lemongrass oil , lemon oil , rosemary oil , rose oil , laurel oil , thujopsis dolabrata oil , anise oil , wintergreen oil , estoragon oil , onion oil , cardamom oil , caraway oil , cade oil , star anise oil , cedarwood oil , celery oil , tarragon oil , formosan cypress oil , nutmeg oil , birch oil , black pepper oil , basil oil , white pepper , marjoram oil , mace oil , cananga oil , jasmine oil , spearmint oil , peppermint oil , patchouli oil , bois de rose oil , green tea extract , oolong tea extract , tea catechins , ginger oil , cereli seed oil , lovage oil , valerian oil , hop oil , ambrette seed oil , dill seed oil , pennyroyal oil , tansy oil , winelees oil , ephedra herb extract , zanthoxylum piperitum oil , ophiopogon tuber extract . in the present invention , the growth inhibition activity , which is an indicator of the antimicrobial activity , is evaluated by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration ( mic ) with an agar or liquid medium . in addition , although it cannot be determined if the microbicidal or bacteriostatic activity contributes to the growth inhibition activity , in the determining the minimum inhibitory concentration in the present specification , since antimicrobial activity can include microbicidal and bacteriostatic activities , the above evaluation does not matter . the present flavor and / or fragrance composition composes the above mentioned antimicrobial composition . although the content of the present cooling agent in the flavor and / or fragrance composition can be arbitrarily regulated depending on the dosage level of the flavor and / or fragrance composition , the content is generally 0 . 01 to 50 % by weight , preferably 0 . 01 to 20 % by weight , further preferably 0 . 05 to 10 % by weight , based on the total mass of the flavor and / or fragrance composition . when the content is more than 50 % by weight , there are few economic advantages , while when the content is less than 0 . 01 % by weight , the effect caused by the present flavor and / or fragrance composition may be not sufficiently displayed . the present flavor and / or fragrance composition can further comprise any components to the extent not to spoil the antimicrobial activity , which , include ( but not limited to ) natural essential oils , synthetic essential oils , citrus oils , animal perfume . the synthetic aromachemicals used in the present flavor and / or fragrance composition are not particularly limited as long as they have been commonly used in flavors and fragrances industry , and examples of the which include at least one selected the group consisting of esters , alcohols , aldehydes , ketones , phenols , ethers , lactones , hydrocarbons , nitrogen - containing compounds , sulfur - containing compounds and acids described in “ synthetic flavoring ingredient chemicals and product knowledge ” ( genichi indo , chemical daily co ., ltd .) etc . examples of the esters include , propyl formate , butyl formate , amyl formate , octyl formate , linalyl formate , citronellyl formate , geranyl formate , neryl formate , terpinyl formate , ethyl acetate , isopropyl acetate , isoamyl acetate , hexyl acetate , cis - 3 - hexenyl acetate , trans - 2 - hexenyl acetate , octyl acetate , nonyl acetate , decyl acetate , dodecyl acetate , dimethyl undecadienyl acetate , styrallyl acetate , ocimenyl acetate , myrcenyl acetate , dihydro myrcenyl acetate , linalyl acetate , citronellyl acetate , geranyl acetate , neryl acetate , tetrahydro - mugol acetate , lavandulyl acetate , nerolidol acetate , dihydrocuminyl acetate , terpinyl acetate , citril acetate , nopyl acetate , dihydroterpinyl acetate , 2 , 4 - dimethyl - 3 - cyclohexenyl methyl acetate , myraldyl acetate , veticol acetate , decenyl propionate , linalyl propionate , geranyl propionate , neryl propionate , terpinyl propionate , tricyclodecenyl propionate , styrallyl propionate , anisil propionate , octyl butyrate , neryl butyrate , cinnamyl butyrate , isopropyl isobutyrate , octyl isobutyrate , linalyl isobutyrate , neryl isobutyrate , linalyl isovalerate , terpinyl isovalerate , phenylethyl isovalerate , 2 - methylpentyl 2 - methylvalerate , methyl 3 - hydroxyhexanoate , ethyl 3 - hydroxyhexanoate , methyl octanoate , octyl octanoate , linalyl octanoate , methyl nonanoate , methyl undecylenate , linalyl benzoate , methyl cinnamate , isoprenyl angelicate , methyl gelanate , triethyl citrate , ethyl acetoacetate , ethyl 2 - hexylacetoacetate , ethyl benzyl - acetoacetate , ally 2 - ethylbutyrate , ethyl 3 - hyoxybutyrate , ethyl nonanoate , ethyl decanoate , ethyl 2 , 4 - decadienoate , propyl 2 , 4 - decadienoate , methyl anthranylate , ethyl n - methyl - anthranylate , and the like . examples of the alcohols include , 3 - heptanol , 1 - nonanol , 1 - undecanol , 2 - undecanol , 1 - dodecanol , prenol , 10 - undecen - 1 - ol , dihydrolinalool , tetrahydromugol , myrcenol , dihydromyrcenol , tetrahydromyrcenol , ocimenol , terpineol , hotrienol , 3 - thujanol , benzylalcohol , β - phenylethyl alcohol , α - phenylethyl alcohol , 3 - methyl - 1 - pentanol , 1 - heptanol , 2 - heptanol , 3 - octanol , 1 - nonanol , 2 - nonanol , 2 , 6 - dimethyl - heptanol , 1 - decanol , trans - 2 - hexenol , cis - 4 - hexenol , methyltrimethylcyclopentenylbutenol , citronellol , dihydro - myrcenol , rhodinol , geraniol , nerol , linalool , tetrahydrolinalool , dimethyloctanol , hydroxycitronellol , isopulegol , menthol , terpineol , dihydro - terpineol , carveol , dihydro - carveol , perilla alcohol , 4 - thujanol , myrtenol , a - fenchyl alcohol , farnesol , nerolidol , cedrenol , anisealcohol , hydratropic alcohol , 3 - phenyl - propyl alcohol , cinnamic alcohol , amylcinnamic alcohol , and the like . examples of the aldehydes include , acetaldehyde , n - hexanal , n - heptanal , n - octanal , n - nonanal , 2 - methyloctanal , 3 , 5 , 5 - trimethylhexanal , decanal , undecanal , 2 - methyldecanal , dodecanal , tridecanal , tetradecanal , trans - 2 - hexenal , trans - 4 - decenal , cis - 4 - decenal , trans - 2 - decenal , 10 - undecenal , trans - 2 - undecenal , trans - 2 - dodecenal , 3 - dodecenal , trans - 2 - tridecenal , 2 , 4 - hexadienal , 2 , 4 - decadienal , 2 , 4 - dodecadienal , 5 , 9 - dimethyl - 4 , 8 - decadienal , citral , dimethyloctanal , a - methylene citronellal , citronellyl oxyacetaldehyde , myrtenal , neral , α - or β - sinensal , myrac aldehyde , phenyl acetoaldehyde , octanal dimethyl acetal , nonanal dimethyl acetal , decanal dimethyl acetal , decanal diethyl acetal , 2 - methyl undecanal dimethyl acetal , citral dimethyl acetal , citral diethyl acetal , citral propylene glycol acetal , n - valeraldehyde , iso - valeraldehyde , 2 - methyl butanal , 2 - pentenal , trans - 2 - heptenal , trans - 2 - nonenal , 2 , 6 - dimethyl - 5 - heptenal , 2 , 4 - undecadienal , trimethyl decadienal , citronellal , hydroxyl citronellal , safranal , vernaldehyde , benzaldehyde , p - isopropyl - phenyl acetoaldehyde , p - methyl - hydro - tropaldehyde , phenyl propionaldehyde , 2 - methyl - 3 -( 4 - methyl phenyl )- propanal , cycramen aldehyde , cinnamic aldehdye , salicylaldehyde , anisaldehyde , p - methyl - phenoxyacetaldehyde , acetaldehyde diethyl acetal , citronellyl methyl acetal , acetaldehyde 2 - phenyl - 2 , 4 - pentandiol acetal , 2 - hexenal diethyl acetal , cis - 3 - hexenal diethyl acetal , heptanal diethyl acetal , 2 - hexyl - 5 - methyl - 1 , 3 - dioxolane , citronellal - cyclo - mono - glycol acetal , hydroxyl - citronellal dimethyl acetal , phenyl acetaldehyde dimethyl acetal , and the like . examples of the ketones include , 2 - pentanone , 3 - hexanone , 2 - heptanone , 3 - heptanone , 4 - heptanone , 2 - octanone , 3 - octanone , 2 - nonanone , 2 - undecanone , methyl heptenone , dimethyl octenone , geranyl acetone , farnesyl acetone , 2 , 3 , 5 - trimethyl - 4 - cyclohexenyl - 1 - methyl ketone , nerone , nootkatone , dihydronootkatone , acetophenone , 4 , 7 - dihydro - 2 - isopentyl - 2 - methyl - 1 , 3 - dioxepin , 2 - pentanone , 3 - hexanone , 2 - heptanone , 2 , 3 - hexanedione , 3 - nonanone , ethyl isoamyl ketone , diacetyl , amyl - cyclopentenone , 2 - cyclopentyl cyclopentanone , hexyl cyclopentanone , heptyl cyclopentanone , cis - jasmone , dihydro - jasmone , trimethyl pentyl cyclopentanone , 2 -( 2 -( 4 - methyl )- 3 - cyclohexanone - 1 - yl )- propyl - cyclopentanone , damascone , α - dynascone , trimethyl cyclohexenyl butenone , jonan ( ionone ), methylionone , allylionone , pricatone , cashmeran , l - carvone , menthone , camphor , p - methyl acetophenone , p - methoxy - acetophenone , benzylidene acetone , raspberry ketone , methyl naphtyl ketone , benzophenone , furfural acetone , homofuronol , maltol , ethyl maltol , acetoacetic acid ethyl ethyleneglycol ketal , and the like . examples of the phenols include , thymol , carvacrol , β - naphthol isobutyl ether , anethole , β - naphthol methyl ether , β - naphthol ethyl ether , creosol , veratrole , hydroquinone dimethyl ether , 2 , 6 - dimethoxylphenol , 4 - ethyl guaiacol , eugenol , isoeugenol , ethyl isoeugenol , tert - butyl hydroquinone dimethyl ether , and the like . examples of the ethers include , decyl vinyl ether , α - terpinyl methyl ether , iso - proxen , 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 5 -( 1 - methyl - 1 - propenyl )- tetrahydro - furan , rosefuran , 1 , 4 - cineol , nerol oxide , 2 , 2 , 6 - trimethyl - 6 - vinyl tetrahydro - pyran , methyl hexyl ether , ocimene epoxide , limonene oxide , rhubofix , caryophyllene oxide , linalool oxide , 5 - isopropenyl - 2 - methyl - 2 - vinyl tetrahydro - furan , nerol oxide , rose oxide , and the like . examples of the lactones include , γ - undecalactone , δ - dodecalactone , γ - hexylactone , γ - nonalactone , γ - decalactone , γ - dodecalactone , jasmine lactone , methyl γ - decalactone , 7 - decenolactone , jasmolactone , propylidene phthalide , δ - hexylactone , δ - 2 - decenolactone , ε - dodecalactone , dihydrocoumarin , coumarin , and the like . examples of the hydrocarbons include , ocimene , limonene , α - phellandrene , terpinene , 3 - caren , bisabolene , valencene , alloocimene , myrcene , farnesene , α - pynene , β - pynene , camphene , terpinolene , p - cymene , cedrene , β - caryophyllene , cadinene , and the like . examples of the compounds containing nitrogen or sulfur include , methyl anthranilate , ethyl anthranilate , methyl n - methyl - anthranilate , methyl n - 2 ′- methyl - pentylidyne - anthranilate , ligantral , dodecane nitrile , 2 - tridecene nitrile , geranyl nitrile , citronellyl nitrile , 3 , 7 - dimethyl - 2 , 6 - nonadieno nitrile , indole , 5 - methyl - 3 - heptanone oxime , limonene thiol , 1 - p - menthen - 8 - thiol , butyl anthranilate , cis - 3 - hexenyl anthranilate , phenyl ethyl anthranilate , cinnamyl anthranilate , dimethyl sulfide , 8 - mercaptomenthone , and the like . examples of the acids include , acetic acid , propionic acid , butyric acid , valeric acid , hexanoic acid , octanoic acid , decanoic acid , dodecanoic acid , 2 - decenoic acid , geranoic acid , 2 - methyl - butyric acid , 2 - ethyl - butyric acid , phenyl - acetic acid , cinnamic acid , iso - butyric acid , iso - valeric acid , 3 - methyl valeric acid , 2 - hexenoic acid , 2 - methyl - 2 - pentenoic acid , 2 - methyl - heptanoic acid , myristic acid , stearic acid , lactic acid , pyruvic acid , cyclohexane - carbonic acid , and the like . examples of the natural fragrances include , sweet orange , bitter orange , neroli , mandarin , petit grain , bergamot , tangerine , onshuu mandarin orange , daidai ( citrus aurantium ), hassaku ( citrus hassaku ), iyokan ( citrus iyo ), lemon , lime , grape fruit , yuzu ( citrus junos ), sudachi ( citrus sudachi ), cabosu ( citrus sphaerocarpa ), sweety and the like . in addition , the following can also be used other than the above natural fragrances as aroma and flavoring substance or improving agent of the aroma and flavoring ; citronella , elemi , olibanum , marjoram , angelica root , star anise , basil , hay , calamos , caraway , cardamom , pepper , cascarilla , ginger , sage , clary sage , clove , coriander , eucalyptus , fennel , pimento , juniper , fenugreek , laurel , mace , sugi ( cedar ), senkyu , almond , apple mint , anise , artemisia , alfalfa , apricot , ambrette , rush , strawberry , fig , ylang - ylang , winter green , ume apricot , elder , enju ( japanese - pagota tree ), oak moss , allspice , orris , currant , cassie , chamomile , galanga , chinese quince , gambir , guava , gooseberry , camphor tree , gardenia , cubeb , cumin , cranberry , cola , japanese pepper , sandarac , sandal wood , red sandal wood , perilla , civet , jasmine , ginger , ginseng , cinnamon , starfruit , styrax , spearmint , geranium , thyme , davana , tansy , tangerine , champac , tuberose , camellia , dittany , tolu balsam , tonka , nut , jujube , nutmeg , nanten , ti - tree , carrot , violet , pineapple , hibiscus , honey , mint , passion fruit , vanilla , rose , hyssop , hinoki , fusel oil , buchu , peppermint , pepino , verbena , bois de rose , popaw , boldo , boronia , pine , mango , bees wax , mimosa , milfoil , musk , maple , melissa , melon , peach , yara - yara , lavender , liqueur , litsea , linden , rue , water apple , rosemary , lovage , and the like . these contents of these components for blending perfume are not specially limited , and can be selected according to the purpose and use ( application ) arbitrary . further , the present flavor and / or fragrance composition can be further blended with other materials depending on purposes and applications . particular examples include citrus flavor such as orange , lemon , lime , grape fruit , yuzu ( citrus junos ) and sudachi ( citrus sudachi ); berry flavor such as strawberry , raspberry , blue berry ; tropical fruit flavor such as mango , papaya , guava , passion fruit , litchi ; fruit flavor such as apple , grape , pineapple , banana , peach , melon , apricot , ume ( prunus mume ), and cherry ; tea and coffee flavor such as green tea , oolong tea , black tea , and coffee ; meat flavor such as beef , pork , and chicken ; herb and spice flavor such as asafetida , ajowan , anise , angelica , fennel , allspice , cinnamon , cassia , chamomile , mustard , cardamom , caraway , cumin , clove , pepper , coriander , sassafras , savory , japanese pepper , perilla , juniperberry , ginger , star anise , horseradish , sage , thyme , tarragon , dill , capsicum , jujube , nutmeg , basil , parsley , marjoram , rosemary , laurel , and wasabi ( wasabia japonica ); vegetable flavor such as onion , garlic , green onion , cabbage , carrot , celery , shiitake ( lentinula edodes ( berk .) pegler ), matsutake ( tricholoma matsutake ), tomato , burdock , and honewort ; mint flavor such as peppermint , spearmint , and japanese mint ; vanilla flavor ; nut flavor such as almond , cashew nut , peanut , hazel nut , walnut , chestnut , macadamia nut , pecan nut , pistachio , brazil nut , and coconut ; liqueur flavor such as wine , whisky , brandy , rum , gin and liqueur ; grain flavor such as corn , potato , sweet potato , cooked rice , and bread ; sugar flavor such as honey , maple syrup , sugar , brown sugar and molasses . the synthetic aromachemicals are readily commercially available , and easily synthesized if necessary . also , the natural materials are readily commercially available , and easily obtained with common methods like extraction / purification . dosage level of the present composition can be adjusted depending upon the application for the designated products . furthermore , the formulation ( eg ., liquid , solid , poweder , gel , mist , aerosol and so on ) can be selected based on the character of designated products . & lt ; food and beverage , cosmetic , grocery good , composition for oral , or drug & gt ; the present food and beverage , cosmetic , grocery good , composition for oral or drug ( hereafter , these are sometime referred to as “ product ( s )” collectively ) comprises the above antimicrobial composition or the above flavor and / or fragrance composition . although the content of the present cooling agent in the products can be arbitrarily regulated depending on the dosage level of these products , the content is generally 0 . 0001 to 30 % by weight , preferably 0 . 001 to 20 % by weight , further preferably 0 . 005 to 10 % by weight , based on the total mass of the products . when the content is more than 30 % by weight , there are few economic advantages , while when the content is less than 0 . 0001 % by weight , the effect caused by the present product may be not sufficiently displayed . moreover , the sum of the contents of cooling agent , combined component , and common antimicrobial agent can be generally set to for example 0 . 01 to 50 % by weight according to the total mass of the product . examples of the present food and beverage include , drinks such as fruit juice drinks , fruit wines , milk drinks , carbonated drink , soft drink and drink preparations ; ices such as ice creams , sherbets and ice candies ; desserts such as jelly and pudding ; western style cakes such as cake , cookie , chocolate and chewing gum , japanese style confections such as bean - jam bun , sweet beans jelly and uiro ; jams ; candies ; breads ; tea drinks or luxury drinks such as green tea , oolong tea , black tea , persimmon leaf tea , chamomile tea , low striped bamboo tea , mulberry tea , dokudami tea , pu - erh tea , mate tea , rooibos tea , gymnema tea , guava tea , coffee and cocoa ; soups such as japanese style soup , western style soup and chinese soup ; flavoring and seasoning ; various instant drinks or convenience foods ; various snack foods and the like . examples of the present cosmetic include , fragrance products ( perfume , eau de perfume , eau de toilette , eau de cologne and the like ), basic cosmetics ( cleansing cream , banishing cream , cleansing cream , cold cream , massage cream , milky lotion , skin lotion , beauty lotion , pack , makeup remover and the like ), finishing cosmetics ( foundation , face powder , solid face powder , talcum powder , rouge , lip barm , cheek rouge , eye liner , mascara , eye shadow , eyebrow pencil , eye pack , nail enamel , enamel remover and the like ), hair cosmetics ( pomade , brilliantine , set lotion , hair stick , hair solid , hair oil , hair treatment , hair cream , hair tonic , hair liquid , hair spray , bandrine , revitalizing hair tonic , hair dye and the like ), suntan cosmetics ( suntan products , sunscreen product and the like ), medicated cosmetics ( antiperspirant , after shaving lotion or gel , permanent wave agent , medicated soap , medicated shampoo , medicated skin cosmetics and the like ). additionally , examples of the present grocery good include deodorant and air freshener ( solid type , gel type , such as the liquid type ), tissue paper , toilet paper and the like . additionally , examples of the present composition for oral include oral goods ( dentifrice , oral cavity cleaner , mouth wash , troche , chewing gums and the like ) and the like . additionally , example of the present drug include skin external preparations such as poultices and ointment , internal medicines and the like . hereafter , the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following examples , which do not limit the present invention . regarding substance names used in the following examples and comparative examples , “ coolact ®” is the registered trademark of takasago international corporation , and “ ws ” is the registered trademark of millennium specialty chemicals . this “ coolact ®” is also referred to as “ ca ” herein . the iupac names of these substances correspond to the designations as the following table 1 . the test strains were cultured in the liquid medium which the bioresource center recommends , and then the test strains were subcultured to a mueller hinton broth ( difco ) at 30 degrees c . the grown bacteria were diluted to 10 6 cfu / ml with saline to adjust the bacteria fluids for inoculation . furthermore , in order to examine the growth inhibition activities against the bacteria by the above cooling agents , the concentration of the cooling agents : ( 3s )- ca20 , ( 3r )- ca20 , cal ca5 , ca15 , ca55 or ca mgh was diluted with ethanol to the required level of concentration for the determining the minimum inhibitory concentration to produce the sample liquids . next , 100 μl of each sample liquid was added to 10 ml of a mueller hinton agar ( difco ) agar medium solution in a soluble state , and each agar medium solution was poured into a petri dish and solidified to prepare test plates having several concentrations of the sample liquids ( several concentrations of the above cooling agents ). subsequently , 5 μl of the above bacteria fluids for inoculation were stamped on the test plates , and then the test plates were cultured at 37 degrees c . overnight . in this way , the growth inhibition activities by ( 3s )- ca20 , ( 3r )- ca20 , cal ca5 , ca15 , ca55 , ca mgh were examined . the minimum concentration of the cooling agent in which the growth of bacteria could not be confirmed was considered as the mic ( minimum inhibitory concentration ). in a manner similar to example 1 , the effects of ws - 3 , ws - 23 , 1 - menthol , ca10 , and ca38 were examined . the minimum concentration of the cooling agent in which the grown strain could not be confirmed was considered as the mic ( minimum inhibitory concentration ). the mics of example 1 and comparative example 1 are denoted in table 2 ( unit : ppm ). in view of the result in table 2 , it was understood that ( 3s )- ca20 , ( 3r )- ca20 , ca1 , ca5 , ca15 , ca55 , and ca mgh ( the present example ) had low mic values against many strains compared with ws - 3 , ws - 23 , 1 - menthol , ca10 and ca38 ( the comparative example ). thus , it was understood that the present cooling agent can provide antimicrobial activities against skin - related bacteria such as staphylococcus aureus , and armpit odor - causing bacteria , and other aerobic bacteria . in the test for growth inhibition activity , the following strains were used : acne bacteria : propionibacterium acnes ( jcm6473 ) and ( atcc6919 ) abscess bacteria : bacteroides fragilis ( gai5560 ) cavity - causing bacteria : streptococcus mutans ( jcm5175 ), actinomyces naeslundii ( jcm8350 ) and actinomyces viscosus ( jcm8352 ) periodontal pathogen : fusobacterium nucleatum ( jcm6328 ), porphyromonas gingivalis ( jcm8525 ), prevotella nigrescens ( jcm6322 ) the test strains were cultured in a gam medium ( nissui pharmaceutical co ., ltd ), a schaedler broth ( bbl ) or a trypticase soy broth ( bbl ) liquid medium , and then the grown bacteria were diluted in saline to prepare turbidity 0 . 5 mcfarland of the bacteria fluids for inoculation . the bacteria were cultured at 37 degrees c . for 3 days under an anaerobic condition by using anaeropack ® from mgc . furthermore , in order to examine the growth inhibition activities against the bacteria by the above cooling agent , the concentration of the cooling agents : ( 3s )- ca20 , ( 3r )- ca20 , cal ca5 , ca15 , ca55 or ca mgh was diluted with ethanol to the required level of concentrations for the determining the minimum inhibitory concentration to produce the sample liquids . next , 100 μl of each sample liquid was added to 10 ml of a trypticase soy broth agar medium solution in a soluble state , and each agar medium solution was poured into a petri dish and solidified , to prepare the test plates . subsequently , 5 μl of above the bacteria fluids for inoculation were stamped on the test plates , and then the test plates were cultured at 37 degrees c . for 3 days . in this way , in a manner similar to example 1 , the growth inhibition activities by ( 3s )- ca20 , ( 3r )- ca20 , ca1 , ca5 , ca15 , ca55 , ca mgh were examined . the minimum concentration of the cooling agent in which the growth of bacteria could not be confirmed was considered as the mic ( minimum inhibitory concentration ). the concentrations in this time are denoted in table 3 ( unit : ppm ). in a manner similar to example 2 , the effects of ws - 3 , ws - 23 , 1 - menthol , ca10 , and ca38 were examined . the minimum concentration of the cooling agent in which the growth of bacteria could not be confirmed was considered as the mic ( minimum inhibitory concentration ). the concentrations in this time are denoted in table 3 ( unit : ppm ). in view of the result in table 3 , it was understood that ( 3s )- ca20 , ( 3r )- ca20 , ca1 , ca5 , ca15 , ca55 , and ca mgh ( the present example ) had low mic values against many strains compared with ws - 3 , ws - 23 , 1 - menthol and ca38 ( the comparative example ). the former ( the present example ) also had low mic values compared with ca 10 . thus , it was understood that the present cooling agent can provide the antimicrobial activity against anaerobic bacteria such as acne bacteria , abscess bacteria , cavity - causing bacteria , and periodontal pathogen . although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail , it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation , the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited only by the terms of the appended claims .
the objective of the present invention is to provide an antimicrobial composition that can be safely used with a broad range of foods and beverages , cosmetics , drugs , and other similar products while showing growth inhibition activity against a wide variety of microorganisms . the present invention relates to the antimicrobial composition comprising at least one cooling agent selected from the group consisting of menthyl 3 - hydroxybutanoate , 2 - methyl - 3 - propane - 1 , 2 - diol , 2 - ethanol , 3 - menthoxypropan - 1 - ol , 2 - ethanol , and menthyl glyoxylate .