Bacteriocins: safe, natural antimicrobials for food preservation

Bacteriocins are antibacterial proteins produced by bacteria that kill or i nhibit the growth of other bacteria. Many lactic acid bacteria (LAB) produc e a high diversity of different bacteriocins. Though these bacteriocins are produced by LAB found in numerous fermented and non-fermented foods, nisin is currently the only bacteriocin widely used as a food preservative. Many bacteriocins have been characterized biochemically and genetically, and th ough there is a basic understanding of their structure-function, biosynthes is, and mode of action, many aspects of these compounds are still unknown. This article gives an overview of bacteriocin applications, and differentia tes bacteriocins from antibiotics. A comparison of the synthesis, mode of a ction, resistance and safety of the two types of molecules is covered. Toxi city data exist for only a few bacteriocins, but research and their long-ti me intentional use strongly suggest that bacteriocins can be safely used. ( C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.