Development of a Lacticin 3147–Enriched Whey Powder with Inhibitory Activity against Foodborne Pathogens

Abstract

The broad-spectrum bacteriocin lacticin 3147, produced by Lactococcus lactis DPC3147, is inhibitory to a wide range of gram-positive food spoilage and pathogenic organisms. A 10% solution of demineralized whey powder was fermented with DPC3147 at a constant pH of 6.5. The fermentate was spray dried, and the resulting powder exhibited inhibitory activity. The ability of the lacticin 3147–enriched powder to inhibit Listeria monocytogenes Scott A and Staphylococcus aureus 10 was assessed in buffer at both acidic (pH 5) and neutral (pH 7) pH. In addition, the ability of the powder to inhibit L. monocytogenes Scott A in an infant milk formulation was assessed. Resuspension of approximately 108 midexponential phase L. monocytogenes Scott A cells in a 10% solution of the lacticin 3147–enriched powder resulted in a 1,000-fold reduction in viable cells at pH 5 and pH 7 after 3 h at 30°C. In the case of S. aureus 10, resuspension of 2.5 × 107 midexponential phase cells in a 15% solution of the lacticin 3147–enriched powder at pH 5 resulted in only a 10-fold reduction in viable cell counts, compared with a 1,000-fold reduction at pH 7, following incubation for 3 h at 30°C. The use of the lacticin 3147 powder in an infant milk formulation resulted in greater than a 99% kill of L. monocytogenes within 3 h at 30°C. These results suggest that this bioactive lacticin 3147 food ingredient may find applications in many different foods, including those with pH close to neutrality.