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Published on: July 25, 2017
Bacteriocin-based strategies for food biopreservation
Antonio Gálvez1, Hikmate Abriouel, Rosario Lucas López
1Area de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Jaén, Spain. agalvez@ujaen.es
International Journal of Food Microbiology
|July 7, 2007
Summary
Bacteriocins, antimicrobial peptides from bacteria, offer natural food preservation by reducing chemical additives and heat treatments. Their use in combination with other methods enhances food safety and quality, meeting consumer demand for minimally processed foods.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Food Science
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides produced by bacteria, with many lactic acid bacteria (LAB) producing broad-spectrum inhibitors.
- LAB bacteriocins are valuable for food preservation, reducing chemical preservatives and harsh treatments, leading to improved food quality and meeting consumer demand for minimally processed products.
- Existing commercial bacteriocins like nisin and pediocin are complemented by promising alternatives such as lacticin 3147, enterocin AS-48, and variacin.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the potential of bacteriocins as natural food preservatives.
- To highlight the advantages of using bacteriocins in food applications, including enhanced organoleptic and nutritional properties.
- To discuss the application of bacteriocins in hurdle technology and their synergistic effects with other preservation methods.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on bacteriocin applications in food preservation.
- Analysis of bacteriocin properties, including spectrum of activity and stability in food matrices.
- Investigation of bacteriocin combinations with chemical preservatives, natural compounds, physical treatments, and other bacteriocins.
Main Results:
- Bacteriocins can be used as direct additives, produced in situ by starter cultures, or incorporated into bioactive packaging.
- Broad-spectrum bacteriocins offer wider applications, while narrow-spectrum ones allow selective inhibition of specific pathogens like Listeria monocytogenes.
- Combined use of bacteriocins with other antimicrobial agents or physical treatments (e.g., high pressure processing) enhances preservation effectiveness and helps prevent resistance development.
Conclusions:
- Bacteriocins represent a viable strategy for natural food preservation, aligning with consumer preferences for safe, minimally processed foods.
- Hurdle technology incorporating bacteriocins offers a powerful approach to improve food safety and extend shelf life.
- Understanding the influence of food ecosystems and microbial interactions is crucial for optimizing bacteriocin efficacy, with genomic studies promising new bacteriocin discoveries.
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