PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a compound which has sufficient antibacterial activity and can be used as an active ingredient of an antibacterial and antiseptic agent.SOLUTION: The invention provides a methylbutanediol represented by the general formula (1) in the figure, where R represents a C3-16 alkyl group.SELECTED DRAWING: NoneCOPYRIGHT: (C)2016,JPO&INPIT