Antimicrobial activity of bacteriocins and their applications

Abstract

Bacteriocins are peptides or proteins that exert an antimicrobial action against a range of microorganisms. Their production can be related to the antagonism within a certain ecological niche, as the producer strain, being itself immune to its action, generally gains a competitive advantage. Many Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms have been found to produce bacteriocins. The former, and especially the ones produced by lactic acid bacteria, has been the field of intensive research during the last decades mainly due to their properties that account for their suitability in food preservation and the benefits arising from that, and secondarily due to the broader inhibitory spectrum compared to the ones produced by Gramnegative microorganisms. © 2008 Springer New York.