Factors influencing production of bacteriocins by lactic acid bacteria

Bacteriocins of lactic acid bacteria have potential for use as food biopreservatives to control spoilage and pathogenic bacteria. For economical use in food, the bacteriocins have to be produced in large amounts and preferably by growing the strains in media containing food grade ingredients. The influence of several factors on production of nisin by Lactococcus lactis, pediocin AcH by Pediococcus acidilactici, leuconocin Lcm1 by Leuconostoc carnosum Lm1 and sakacin A by Lactobacillus sake Lb 706 were studied. Among the several strains studied in each species, only some strains produced higher amounts of the bacteriocins. Production of a bacteriocin in a simple medium can be increased by growing the cells at optimum pH and supplementing with nutrients specific for a species/strain. Conditions that provide high cell density favor high bacteriocin production. Growing cells under an optimum environment for 16 h facilitates high bacteriocin production. For high yield of a bacteriocin, these aspects need to be considered.