 Bacteriocins are proteinous toxins produced by

bacteria to inhibit the growth of similar or closely

related bacterial strains. They are typically
considered to be narrow spectrum antibiotics,
though it has been debated.(Farkas- Himsley H
(1980)).
 They were first discovered by A. Gratia in 1925. He
called his first discovery a colicine because it
killed Escherichia coli.
 The incorporation of bacteriocins as a biopreservative
ingredient into model food system has been studied
extensively and has been shown to be effective in the
control of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms.
Source: Colin Hill, Paul D. Cotter & R. Paul Ross (October 2005)
 Bacteriocins are
proteinous in nature.
 They inhibit the growth
of similar or closely
related bacterial strains.
 They kill other bacteria
by inducing metabolic  Bacteriocins are
block.
 They are ribsomally
synthesized peptides.
 Cells containing the
plasmid encoding for a
bacteriocin have the
capability of destroying
surrounding cells.
 They ribosomally
synthesized,
extracellularly released
bioactive peptide
complexes having a
bactericidal or
bacteriostatic activity.
considered to be safe,
since they are degraded
by the proteases in
gastrointestinal tract.

Source: Saavedra et al, 2004

WHAT IS FOOD? PROBLEMS
 Food is any  Food poisoning
substance which  Obesity
is of plant or  Scurvy
animal origin
consumed to  Diabetes
provide  Cardiovascular diseases
nutritional
support for the
body.

source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food
WHAT IS FOOD
PRESERVATION? TECHNIQUES
 Food preservation  Drying
usually involves  Pasteurization
preventing the growth  Refrigerator
of bacteria, fungi  Freezing
(such as yeasts), or  Salting
any other micro-  Smoking
organisms (although  Food additives .e.g. Bacteriocins
some methods work  Irradiation
by introducing benign
bacteria or fungi to the
food), as well as
retarding the
oxidation of fats that
cause rancidity. Source: Yousef AE and Carolyn
Carlstrom C (2003)
WHAT IS USES OF BACTERIOCINS IN FOOD
BIOPRESERVATION? PRESERVATION
They are used to preserve the nutritive
 Biopreservation is the 
value of food and beverages over an
use of natural or extended shelf life.
controlled microbiato  They are used by the food industry as a tool
as a way of to control undesirable bacteria in a food-
preserving food and grade and natural manner, which is likely
to be more acceptable to consumers.
extending its shelf
 They are used for the acceleration of
life. cheddar cheese ripening.
 Cell lysis of the bacteriocin starter culture is
advantageous for improved flavor
development.

Source: Deegan et al, 2006

 In the production of food, it is crucial to take proper
measures for ensuring its safety and stability during
the shelf-life.
 Use of microorganisms in food fermentation is one of
the oldest methods for producing and preserving
food.
 There is an increased tendency to use biopreservatives
in the form of protective cultures or their metabolites,
i.e, bacteriocins.
 To date, nisin is the only bacteriocin that has found
practical applications in some industrially processed
foods. It is anticipated that the advances in
bacteriocins research and combination treatments for
food preservation will benefit both consumer and the
producer.