Abstract

Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides or proteins produced by strains of diverse bacterial species. The antimicrobial activity of this group of natural substances against food borne pathogenic, as well as spoilage bacteria has raised considerable interest for their application in food preservation. Depending on the raw materials, processing conditions, distribution, and consumption, the different types of foods offer a great variety of scenarios where food poisoning, pathogenic, or spoilage bacteria may proliferate. Application of bacteriocins may help reduce the use of chemical preservatives and/or the intensity of heat and other physical treatments, satisfying the demands of consumers for foods that are fresh tasting, ready to eat, and lightly preserved. In recent years, considerable effort has been made to develop food applications for many different bacteriocins and bacteriocinogenic strains. Antibacterial metabolites of lactic acid bacteria have potential as natural preservatives to control the growth of spoilage and pathogenic bacteria in food. Among them, bacteriocin is used as a preservative in food due to its heat stability, wider pH tolerance and its proteolytic activity. Due to thermo stability and pH tolerance. it can withstand heat and acidity/alkanity of food during storage condition. Bacteriocin are ribosomally synthesized peptides originally defined as proteinaceous compound affecting growth or viability of closely related organisms. Hence, issues an overview of bacteriocins and their applications in food preservations are addressed in this review.