Structure and stability analysis of antibacterial substance produced by selenium enriched Bacillus cereus BC1

Microorganisms can produce many antibiotics against bacteria and fungi, which have been used as a potential choice of new antibiotics. In this paper, we studied the characteristics of antibacterial substances by Bacillus cereus BC1. The results showed that the acid-precipitated substance played the main role in antibacterial activity, and further characterization indicated that the antibacterial substance might be a lipopeptide substance. Then the antibacterial spectrum suggested that the antibacterial substance had an inhibitory effect on Gram-positive bacteria and fungi, while selenium-riched antibacterial substance of Bacillus cereus BC1 could significantly enhance the inhibition. Then the morphological effects of the antibacterial substance to indicator bacteria were determined. The effects of different treatment methods on the stability of antibacterial substances were studied and the results showed that the antibacterial substance was stable to heat, ultrasonic, and ultraviolet treatment, and their antibacterial activity would not be greatly affected. However, they were sensitive to pepsin. The optimum pH range of antibacterial activity was 3-5. This study may contribute to reusing the fermentation supernatant often discarded in the previous fermentation process. At the same time, the lipopeptide antibacterial substance extracted from the fermentation broth of selenium-enriched Bacillus cereus BC1 can be used in the development of antibiotics and biopesticides, and open up a new way for the control of plant diseases.