As antibacterial compounds, bacteriocins have always lived in the shadow of those medically important, efficient and often broad-spectrum low-molecular mass antimicrobials, well known even to laypeople as antibiotics. This is despite the fact that bacteriocins were discovered as early as 1928, a year before the penicillin saga started. Bacteriocins are antimicrobial proteins or oligopeptides, displaying a much narrower activity spectrum than antibiotics; they are mainly active against bacterial strains taxonomically closely related to the producer strain, which is usually immune to its own bacteriocin. They form a heterogenous group with regard to the taxonomy of the producing bacterial strains, mode of action, inhibitory spectrum and protein structure and composition. Best known are the colicins and microcins produced by Enterobacteriaceae. Many other Gram-negative as well as Gram-positive bacteria have now been found to produce bacteriocins. In the last decade renewed interest has focused on the bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria, which are industrially and agriculturally very important. Some of these compounds are even active against food spoilage bacteria and endospore formers and also against certain clinically important (food-borne) pathogens. Recently, bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria have been studied intensively from every possible scientific angle: microbiology, biochemistry, molecular biology and food technology. Intelligent screening is going on to find novel compounds with unexpected properties, just as has happened (and is still happening) with the antibiotics. Knowledge, especially about bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria, is accumulating very rapidly.

In recent years bacteriocins, especially colicins, have become widely known to molecular biologists as proteins with peculiar ways of killing bacteria. These same bacteriocins have been known for a long time to bacteriology for their unusual activity spectra and enormous variety. In this monograph I have attempted to bring together our detailed knowledge of those few bacteriocins which have already re ceived attention from molecular biologists, and our less detailed hut extensive knowledge of the variety of bacteriocins which exist. The field has been reviewed in whole or in part, by several authors [FREDERICQ, 1957, 1964, 1965 (2); IVANOVICS, 1962; HAMON, 1965; REEVES, 1965 (2)]. These reviews have been very useful to the author, and readers will find further references in them, and sometimes alternative viewpoints. We have already referred to bacteriocins as proteins, and in doing so have ex cluded many more complex antibacterial agents which resemble bacteriophages or their tails. In the author's view, these phage-like particles are probably not bacterio cins, but many authors include them within the definition; the more restrictive de finition used here has meant omitting discussion of some excellent studies on what the present author would term defective bacteriophages. In the first chapter we look at the discovery of bacteriocins and an outline of their classification. With this background we can discuss in Chapters 2 to 6 the chemistry, genetics and mode of action of the more intensively studied bacteriocins.

Microbes produce an extraordinary array of defense systems. This book tells the fascinating story about the evolutionary histories of bacteriocins and the ecological roles of these biological weapons in microbial communities. The book makes compelling reading for a multi-faceted scientific audience, including those working in the fields of biodiversity and biotechnology, notably in the human and animal health domain.

Bacteriocins of Lactic Acid Bacteria is based on the 1990 Annual Meeting of the Institute of Food Technologists held in Dallas, Texas. It describes a number of well-characterized bacteriocins and, where possible, discusses practical applications for those that have been defined thus far from the lactic acid bacteria. The book begins with an introductory overview of naturally occurring antibacterial compounds. This is followed by discussions of methods of detecting bacteriocins and biochemical procedures for extraction and purification; genetics and cellular regulation of bacteriocins; bacteriocins based on the genera of lactic acid bacteria Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and Leuconostoc, and related bacteria such as Carnobacterium and Propionibacterium; and the regulatory and political aspects for commercial use of these substances. The final chapter sets out the prognosis for the future of this dynamic area. The information contained in this book should benefit those with interest in the potential for industrial use of bacteriocins as preservative ingredients. Anyone interested in lactic acid bacteria or the biosynthesis, regulation, and mechanisms of inhibition of these proteinaceous compounds will also appreciate the material presented. These include food scientists, microbiologists, food processors and product physiologists, food toxicologists, and food and personal product regulators.

Bacteriocins are a heterogeneous group of peptides or proteins with antimicrobial activity synthesised ribosomally and released extracellularly by bacteria belonging to nearly all taxonomic groups. These are classified according to their genetic, structural and biochemical characteristics. Use of bacteriocinogenic cultures to improve the safety of food products would represent an attractive alternative to the use of chemical preservatives, based on the long history of safe use of naturally occurring bacteriocin producing food-grade bacteria. Chapter One in this book discusses the effects of bacteriocin production in situ by bacteria in food products and evidence for the probiotic properties of bacteriocin producers are collected in order to identify processes in which the application of bacteriocinogenic cultures can be effectively implemented. Chapter Two examines the importance of the use of bacteriocins in food preservation and also their potential use in human health. Chapter Three discusses a broad range of bacteriocin applications focusing not only on food biopreservation but also on biofilm control. Chapter Four reviews the recent applications of bacteriocin-producing PC in meats and meat products throughout the world. Chapter Five evaluates the effect of mild pressure treatments in the survival of Pediococcus acidilactici HA-6111-2 and on its bacteriocin production capacity.

The book will provide an overview of the advancement of fundamental knowledge and applications of antimicrobial peptides in biomedical, agricultural, veterinary, food, and cosmetic products. Antimicrobial peptides stand as potentially great alternatives to current antibiotics, and most research in this newly-created area has been published in journals and other periodicals. It is the editors’ opinion that it is timely to sum up the most important achievements in the field and provide the scientific community in a reference book. The goals of this project include illustrating the achievements made so far, debating the state of the art, and drawing new perspectives.

Written by the world's leading scientists and spanning over 400 articles in three volumes, the Encyclopedia of Food Microbiology, Second Edition is a complete, highly structured guide to current knowledge in the field. Fully revised and updated, this encyclopedia reflects the key advances in the field since the first edition was published in 1999 The articles in this key work, heavily illustrated and fully revised since the first edition in 1999, highlight advances in areas such as genomics and food safety to bring users up-to-date on microorganisms in foods. Topics such as DNA sequencing and E. coli are particularly well covered. With lists of further reading to help users explore topics in depth, this resource will enrich scientists at every level in academia and industry, providing fundamental information as well as explaining state-of-the-art scientific discoveries. This book is designed to allow disparate approaches (from farmers to processors to food handlers and consumers) and interests to access accurate and objective information about the microbiology of foods Microbiology impacts the safe presentation of food. From harvest and storage to determination of shelf-life, to presentation and consumption. This work highlights the risks of microbial contamination and is an invaluable go-to guide for anyone working in Food Health and Safety Has a two-fold industry appeal (1) those developing new functional food products and (2) to all corporations concerned about the potential hazards of microbes in their food products

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a diverse group of bacteria that comprise low GC content Gram-positive cocci or rods that produces lactic acid as the major end product of the fermentation process. Bifidobacterium genera may also be considered as a part of the LAB group for possessing some similar phenotypical characteristics despite the higher GC content. The key feature of LAB metabolism is efficient carbohydrate fermentation. This contributes to the production of several microbial metabolites that result in the improvement of flavor and texture of fermented foods, in addition to its positive impact on the human health when LAB is administered as a probiotic. The book deals with advances made in the functionalities of LAB, such as their effect on vitamin D receptor expression, impact on neurodegenerative pathologies, production of B-vitamins for food bio-enrichment, production of bacteriocins to improve gut microbiota dysbiosis, production of metabolites from polyphenols and their effects on human health, effect on reducing the immunoreaction of food allergens, as biological system using time-temperature to improve food safety, and the use of probiotics in animal feed. The book also reviews the use of LAB and probiotic technologies to develop new functional foods and functional pharmaceuticals.

Drawing on expert opinions from the fields of nutrition, gut microbiology, mammalian physiology, and immunology, Diet-Microbe Interactions for Human Health investigates the evidence for a unified disease mechanism working through the gut and its resident microbiota, and linking many inflammation-related chronic diet associated diseases. State of the art post-genomic studies can highlight the important role played by our resident intestinal microbiota in determining human health and disease. Many chronic human diseases associated with modern lifestyles and diets — including those localized to the intestinal tract like inflammatory bowel disease and celiac disease, and more pervasive systemic conditions such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease — are characterized by aberrant profiles of gut bacteria or their metabolites. Many of these diseases have an inflammatory basis, often presenting with a chronic low-grade systemic inflammation, hinting at persistent and inappropriate activation of inflammatory pathways. Through the presentation and analysis of recent nutrition studies, this book discusses the possible mechanisms underpinning the disease processes associated with these pathologies, with high fat diets appearing to predispose to disease, and biologically active plant components, mainly fiber and polyphenols, appearing to reduce the risk of chronic disease development. - One comprehensive, translational source for all aspects of nutrition and diet's effect on gastrointestinal health and disease - Experts in nutrition, diet, microbiology and immunology take readers from the bench research (cellular and biochemical mechanisms of vitamins and nutrients) to new preventive and therapeutic approaches - Clear presentations by leading researchers of the cellular mechanisms underlying diet, immune response, and gastrointestinal disease help practicing nutritionists and clinicians (gastroenterologists, endocrinologists) map out new areas for clinical research and structuring clinical recommendations