Abstract
Conventional thermal and chemical treatments used in food preservation have come under scrutiny by consumers who demand minimally processed foods free from chemical agents but microbiologically safe. As a result, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) such as bacteriocins and nisin that are ribosomally synthesised by bacteria, more prominently by the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have appeared as a potent alternative due to their multiple biological activities. They represent a powerful strategy to prevent the development of spore-forming microorganisms in foods. Unlike thermal methods, they are natural without an adverse impact on food organoleptic and nutritional attributes. AMPs such as nisin and bacteriocins are generally effective in eliminating the vegetative forms of spore-forming bacteria compared to the more resilient spore forms. However, in combination with other non-thermal treatments, such as high pressure, supercritical carbon dioxide, electric pulses, a synergistic effect with AMPs such as nisin exists and has been proven to be effective in the inactivation of microbial spores through the disruption of the spore structure and prevention of spore outgrowth. The control of microbial spores in foods is essential in maintaining food safety and extension of shelf-life. Thus, exploration of the mechanisms of action of AMPs such as nisin is critical for their design and effective application in the food industry. This review harmonises information on the mechanisms of bacteria inactivation from published literature and the utilisation of AMPs in the control of microbial spores in food. It highlights future perspectives in research and application in food processing.
Highlights
Food preservation is one of the major challenges in the food industry
This study reports the application of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in food preservation because of their ability to inactivate spores and spore-forming bacteria
The mechanisms of inactivating spore-forming bacteria can be summarised as membrane disruption, holes formation resulting in the release of cellular materials and enzymes and cellular material deactivation
Summary
Food preservation is one of the major challenges in the food industry. This is because resistant bacterial spores are perfect vehicles for spoiling food and infecting humans. The alternative approaches, is to control, suppress and prevent the microbial spores in foods from emerging This can be achieved with the aid of antimicrobial peptides, which has demonstrated potential inhibiting spores’ germination or outgrowth. Other strategies in using antimicrobial peptides in food processing for the control of spores involve inoculation of foods with bacteriocinogenic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) for in-situ production of bacteriocins This has been applied in the control of Clostridium tyrobutyricum [32], using AMPs-producing Lactobacillus gasseri K7 in cheese. These potent abilities of bacteriocinogenic LAB to inhibit and prevent the outgrowth of bacteria spores show that LABs, when utilized as a starter culture in fermentations, perform a dual role which includes microbial fermentation and food preservation. C. perfringens, C. sporogenes, C. botulinum, C. difficile, C. beijerinckii A. acidoterrestris, B. cereus, B. licheniformis, G. stearothermophilus A. acidoterrestris C. tyrobutyricum C. sporogenes B. cereus
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