LANTIBIOTIC NISIN: NATURAL PRESERVATIVE FROM LACTOCOCCUS LACTIS

Abstract

The increasing demand for high quality safe foods that are not extensively processed has created a niche for natural food preservative. Studies confirm that food allergies due to chemical preservatives affect as much as 2.5% of the population. Recent research had suggested bacteriocins (Nisin) are the ideal biological food preservative. Nisin was proteinaceous antibacterial substances produced by Lactococcus lactis, a homofermentative bacterium. Naturally nisin occurs in two different forms nisin A and nisin Z. Nisin has wide range of inhibitory mode of action on Gram negative bacteria and food borne pathogens. Food preservation is a continuous war against the microorganisms spoiling the food or making it unsafe. So, nisin is actually the only lantibiotic bacteriocins used as a food preservative. This review paper will discuss about the Lactococcal strain used for the production of nisin, different forms of nisin, the mode of action of nisin, the cost reductive methods for the production and purification of nisin. So that it can be used in large scale industry for the high yield of nisin and the wide application of nisin in food industries.