Antibacterial mechanism of bifidocin A,a novel broad-spectrum bacteriocin produced by Bifidobacterium animalis BB04

Bifidocin A, a novel broad-spectrum bacteriocin produced by Bifidobacterium animalis BB04, was isolated from the feces of a healthy centenarian. To understand the mechanism of the antibacterial action of bifidocin A against gram-negative bacteria, its effects at a minimum inhibitory concentration on cell morphology, intracellular organization, membrane permeability, membrane integrity, and membrane proton motive force (PMF) of Escherichia coli 1.90 were investigated. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy analyses showed that bifidocin A induced alterations in the morphology and intracellular organization of E. coli cells. The intracellular organization was more susceptible to changes induced by bifidocin A than the morphology. Bifidocin A treatment caused the leakage of K⁺ and inorganic phosphate, the release of ATP and UV-absorbing materials, and a collapse of the transmembrane electrical potential and pH gradient in E. coli cells. Confocal laser scanning microscopy images showed that E. coli cells treated with bifidocin A took up propidium iodide. These results suggested that the mechanism of action bifidocin A against E. coli involved dissipation of the PMF of the cytoplasmic membrane, an increase in membrane permeability, pore formation in the cell membrane, a change in membrane integrity, and complete cell disintegration.     

Appraisal of lactic acid bacteria as protective cultures

Food industry employs various physical and chemical methods to control fungal contamination of food products. However, many fungal strains are defiant to these techniques as a result of various resistance mechanisms they acquired with time. The synergistic actions of various antimicrobial compounds produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) prevent the growth of food spoilage bacteria and fungi. Antimicrobial peptides and phenolic compounds from LAB have been successfully applied in wheat grain preservation against fungi. Bread made from sourdoughs fermented with various LAB strains is found to prevent or delay fungal attack. Apart from the mycotoxin removal, some of these bioactive from LAB have antioxidant and anti-cancer potential and it further enhances nutritional value and safety of food products. This review focuses on recent research developments on the bioactive potential of compounds from LAB as well as the commercially available protective cultures and biopreservatives based on LAB and thus tried to substantiate its status as protective culture.     

乳酸菌细菌素抗菌潜力挖掘研究进展

乳酸菌产生的主要抗菌防腐物质是有机酸,但在乳酸菌代谢产物中发现了细菌素等其它抗菌物质,其中有的细菌素甚至具有强烈的抗真菌能力。世界范围内启动的乳酸菌基因组计划创造了巨大的生物信息流。乳酸菌基因组蕴含的生物信息将对研究乳酸菌细菌素的合成代谢途径,功能基因挖掘以及新型抗菌剂的开发搭建信息平台。结合乳酸菌细菌素的最新研究进展,讨论利用乳酸菌基因组探索乳酸菌的抗菌潜力及其作为生物防腐剂在食品保藏中的应用前景。     

Use of a starter culture of lactic acid bacteria in plaa-som, a Thai fermented fish

Plaa-som is a Thai fermented fish prepared from freshwater fish and various ingredients. In this study, two strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from natural plaa-som fermentation were used as starter cultures: Lactobacillus plantarum IFRPD P15 and Lactobacillus reuteri IFRPD P17. These strains were used as a mixed starter culture for plaa-som using an air-drying method (laminar airflow) with sterilized rice grains as the filler. This method produced a suitable starter culture, which was maintained at 4 °C for more than 20 weeks. LAB were the dominant bacteria in the starter culture and produced high acidity from 24 h until the end of fermentation. This resulted in decreased pH in plaa-som. L. plantarum IFRPD P15 was dominant as an acidity producer, whereas L. reuteri IFRPD P17 showed an ability to suppress and eliminate pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli within 24 h. The use of a single starter culture for plaa-som resulted in incomplete suppression of pathogenic bacteria and elimination of E. coli. Thus, L. plantarum IFRPD P15 and L. reuteri IFRPD P17 have great potential for use as a mixed starter culture in plaa-som fermentation and may possibly help to reduce fermentation time.     

基于数码相机的色彩管理研究

数码相机的图像采集质量不仅受到拍摄条件的影响,而且也受到自身的参数影响,对数码相机进行色彩的校正和色彩管理具有生产指导意义。本文根据数码相机特有的性质,提出了一次线性回归方程拟合数据的研究方法。分别使用Canon EOS350D、Sony N2、Sonyα700三种数码相机,在D65标准光源下拍GretagMacbeth Digital ColorChecker SG色标。通过Adobe Photoshop读取照片的CIELAB数据,与Eye-one分光光度计测量所得的CIELAB值进行拟合,得到LAB三通道的拟合曲线。基于拟合曲线,开发出数码相机色彩管理软件。通过主观评价实验测试可知,数码相机色彩管理软件的色彩管理效果符合人眼的视觉要求,验证了开发的数码相机色彩管理系统的有效性和准确性。研究结果表明,每台相机的校正效果都是显著的。其中Sonyα700数码相机的LAB三个通道的拟合曲线|r|值最趋近于1,因此Sonyα700拟合程度最好,其色彩管理效果最好。     

Screening of strains of Lactococci isolated from Egyptian dairy products for their proteolytic activity

A collection of cocci isolates (293) obtained from traditional Egyptian dairy products collected from four Egyptian regions yielded 151 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) cocci isolates. Among them, 24 isolates were characterised as highly proteolytic. SDS–PAGE showed that 6 isolates were the most proteolytically active, which were classified into Enterococcus faecalis HH22 (4 isolates) and Enterococcus faecium DO623 (2 isolates). The proteolytic activity of E. faecalis was higher than that of E. faecium (particularly on β-casein). The maximal degradation of milk proteins was achieved at pH 6.5–7.2 (E. faecalis) or pH 6.5 (E. faecium) and at 42 °C for both strains. The proteolytic activities of the two strains were inhibited mostly by the presence of EDTA, showing that their proteases belong mainly to metalloproteases. A slight inhibition of proteolysis by PMSF in the case of E. faecalis HH22 suggests a limited inclusion of serine proteases in its protease system.     

Assessment of the safety and applications of bacteriocinogenic Enterococcus faecium Y31 as an adjunct culture in North-eastern Chinese traditional fermentation paocai

Enterococcus faecium Y31 is a class IIa bacteriocin producer found in traditional Chinese fermented foods. The bacteriocin produced by Y31 (bacteriocin Y31) has a broad inhibitory spectrum. Here, we investigated the safety and behaviours of E. faecium Y31 in North-eastern Chinese traditional fermentation paocai (NCTFP) to assess its suitability as an adjunct culture. E. faecium Y31 showed interesting features, such as the absence of virulence determinants (aggregation substance [agg], enterococcal surface protein [esp], endocarditis antigen [efaAfm], gelatinase [gelE], hemolysin [cylA, cylB, cylM], sex pheromone [cpd, cob, ccf], adhesion of collagen [ace], and hyaluronidase [hyl] genes), sensitivity to various antibiotics, lack of haemolytic compounds, and lack of biogenic amine production. E. faecium Y31 could propagate in raw Chinese cabbage and produce bacteriocin Y31. To evaluate its performance as an adjunct culture for NCTFP, changes in the overall quality of control (noninoculated) and experimental NCTFP (inoculated with E. faecium Y31 under previously optimised fermentation conditions) were determined in duplicate fermentations of Chinese cabbage using chemical, microbiological, texture, and sensory evaluations. In the presence of E. faecium Y31, faster fermentation and higher bacteriocin Y31 production were observed than in the control. Additionally, the nitrite concentration of the fermentation solution decreased more rapidly, the total viability of the culture increased, and the lactic acid bacterium population was higher than those in NCTFP produced by spontaneous fermentation. No yeasts and moulds were detected in NCTFP produced by inoculation fermentation or spontaneous fermentation, and the textural properties of these two products were similar. Sensory evaluation results for NCTFP produced by inoculation fermentation were superior to those produced by spontaneous fermentation. Therefore, E. faecium Y31 was sufficient as an adjunct culture to enhance both the hygienic and sensory attributes of NCTFP and its use may help to address the issues inherent in commercial production of NCTFP.     

Fermentation characteristics of a low‐oxygen inducible hmp promoter system in Bacillus subtilis LAB1886

In an attempt to find a low‐cost promoter system which could be used for producing recombinant proteins, a low oxygen inducible hmp promoter system in Bacillus subtilis (LAB1886) was characterized by studying the effects of cell density (OD₆₀₀), glucose concentration, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO) level, nitrate and nitrite concentration on cell growth and β‐galactosidase expression. The optimal cultivation strategy was found to be to grow the cells in the presence of nitrate to OD₆₀₀ = 0.2 at a high DO level (80%), and then to induce the hmp promoter by lowering the DO level to 1–2%. As a result, the specific β‐galactosidase activity increased continuously to the maximal value of 1750 Miller Units. Nitrite, as the apparent inducer of the hmp promoter, was produced from nitrate reduction, and had profound effects on cell growth and β‐galactosidase expression. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Probiotic Fermented Sausages: Myth or Reality?

Experts view the development of functional foods as an opportunity for innovation for the meat industry in line with consumers’ concerns on food nutrition, well being and food safety. The main microbiota of fermented sausages consists of lactobacilli, which suggests that properly characterized strains could be selected as starter cultures. The selection of strains from human origin was considered in order to promote their survival in the host. Lactobacillus rhamnosus CTC1679 dominated during the ripening process and temporarily colonized the gastrointestinal tract of healthy volunteers, confirming that this strain could be delivered as a potential probiotic in fermented sausages.