FOOD. Science. Technology. Quality

Food. SCIENCE. Technology. Quality

Food. Science. TECHNOLOGY. Quality

Food. Science. Technology. QUALITY

Authors

ELŻBIETA KLEWICKA, LIDIA LIPIŃSKA

Title

Antifungal activity of lactic acid bacteria of Lactobacillus genus

Abstract

One of the methods of protecting fermented foods against undesirable microorganisms living therein is using the lactic acid bacteria as natural bio-preservatives. The occurrence of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in food is particularly beneficial. In addition to their expected antibacterial and antifungal activities, LAB are also characterized by their advantageous effect on human health for they stimulate gastrointestinal track to prevent food-borne infections and they improve overall health. The spectrum of antifungal activity of bacteria of the Lactobacillus genus, which is the main subject in this paper, results from the synthesis of metabolites with antifungal properties, i.e. of primary metabolites: lactic acid and acetic acid, and of secondary metabolites: other organic acids, cyclic dipeptides, fatty acids and their hydroxylated derivatives, low molecular weight compounds, bacteriocins, and hydrogen peroxide. The ability to synthesize the above named compounds is not a feature common to all bacteria of the Lactobacillus genus; it is a strainlinked ability of some individual bacterial cultures. Therefore, such strains of lactic acid bacteria are sought, which have a broad spectrum of antagonistic activity against fungi as are the methods of increasing that activity, for example by selecting optimal conditions of the fermentation process or by modifying the composition of a medium, thus, changing the metabolism of lactic acid bacteria.

Keywords

antifungal activity, antagonism, Lactobacillus sp., metabolites of LAB

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