Innovations in process engineering approaches for enhanced bacteriocin production.

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Biotechnology
• Biochemical Engineering

Background:

• Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides with broad-spectrum activity, stable under harsh conditions, making them suitable for food preservation and medicine.
• Current industrial application is limited by low fermentation yields, insufficient for cost-effective large-scale manufacturing.
• Existing batch and fed-batch fermentation strategies have not achieved adequate bacteriocin titres.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of novel process strategies for enhancing bacteriocin yields over the last two decades.
• To explore methods addressing microbial growth inhibition caused by lactic acid or bacteriocin accumulation.
• To highlight advancements in bacteriocin production for viable industrial applications.

Main Methods:

• In-situ product removal techniques: co-cultivation, adsorption, filtration, and foam fractionation.
• Stress-induced production strategies: biological, chemical, and physical stimuli.
• Review of strategies developed over the past 20 years to improve bacteriocin titres.

Main Results:

• In-situ product removal techniques have shown notable improvements in bacteriocin titres.
• Stress-induced production strategies have successfully enhanced bacteriocin synthesis.
• These novel approaches offer significant potential for increasing bacteriocin yields.

Conclusions:

• Innovative fermentation strategies are crucial for overcoming low bacteriocin titres.
• Further research and scale-up of these processes are necessary for realizing bacteriocin potential.
• Advancements are critical for applications in food safety, antimicrobial therapy, and biomedical fields.