Phthalaldehyde reacts with proteins containing primary amines and blocked amino-terminal peptides of amino acids. Phthalaldehyde stabilizes bacterial outer membranes and cell walls, increases the optical density of bacterial cell suspensions, and inhibits bacterial lysis induced by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and sodium dodecyl sulfate. Phthalaldehyde exhibits bactericidal activity against Gram-negative vegetative bacteria[1][2].
