Proceedings of the First International Workshop on Lantibiotics, April 15-18, 1991, Physikzentrum Bad Honnef, F.R.G.

Peptide Applications in Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Bioengineering summarizes the current knowledge on peptide applications in biomedicine, biotechnology and bioengineering. After a general introduction to peptides, the book addresses the many applications of peptides in biomedicine and medical technology. Next, the text focuses on peptide applications in biotechnology and bioengineering and reviews of peptide applications in nanotechnology. This book is a valuable resource for biomaterial scientists, polymer scientists, bioengineers, mechanical engineers, synthetic chemists, medical doctors and biologists. - Presents a self-contained work for the field of biomedical peptides - Summarizes the current knowledge on peptides in biomedicine, biotechnology and bioengineering - Covers current and potential applications of biomedical peptides

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.

Twelve years have passed since its last edition - making Antimicrobials in Foods, Third Edition the must-have resource for those interested in the latest information on food antimicrobials. During that time, complex issues regarding food preservation and safety have emerged. A dozen years ago, major outbreaks of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeri

This reference summarizes the latest research on the structure, function, and design of synthetic and natural peptide antibiotics, describing practical applications of these compounds in food preservation and packaging, and in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases by direct anti-bacterial action and as part of the adaptive immune resp

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.

Nanoscience and nanotechnologies are leading to a major point to our understanding of nature. Nanotechnology can be generally defined as creation and use of nano-sized systems, devices, and structures which have special functions or properties because of their small size. This volume on Nanotechnology Applications in Health and Environmental Sciences focuses on biotechnological and environmental applications of nanomaterials. It covers popular and various nanomedical topics such as oncology, genetics, and reconstructive medicine. Additionally, many chapters give leading-edge information on nano-sensor applications and usage in specific disciplines. Also, two chapters on novel subjects have been included on Lantibiotics and microbiota. This book should be useful for nanotechnologists, microbiologists, and researchers interested in nanomedicine and nano-biotechnology, as well as environmental nanotechnology.

Comprehensive Natural Products Chemistry

A complete guide to the evolving methods by which we may recover by-products and significantly reduce food waste Across the globe, one third of cereals and almost half of all fruits and vegetables go to waste. The cost of such waste – both to economies and to the environment – is a serious and increasing concern within the food industry. If we are to overcome this crisis and move towards a sustainable future, we must do everything possible to utilize innovative new methods of extracting and processing valuable by-products of all kinds. Food Wastes and By-products represents a complete primer to this important and complex process. Edited and written by leading researchers, the text provides essential information on the supply of waste and its composition, identifies foods rich in valuable bioactive compounds, and explores revolutionary methods for creating by-products from fruit, vegetable, and seed waste. Other chapters discuss the nutraceutical properties of value-added by-products and their uses in the manufacturing of dietary fibers, food flavors, supplements, pectin, and more. This book: Explains how reconstituted by-products can best be used to radically reduce food waste Discusses the potential nutraceutical assets of recovered food waste Covers a broad range of by-product sources, such as mangos, cacao, flaxseed, and spent coffee grounds Describes novel extraction processes and the emerging use of nanotechnology A significant contribution to the field, Food Wastes and By-products is a timely and essential resource for food industry professionals, government agencies and NGOs involved in nutrition, agriculture, and food production, and university instructors and students in related areas.

Presented here are recent findings on bacteriocins: plasmid-encoded toxins produced by bacteria, which differ from traditional antibiotics in killing only bacteria that are closely related to the producing strain. Included are introductory chapters on bacteriocins, microcins (low molecular weight bacteriocins), and lantibiotics (peptide antibiotics containing lanthionine), further, contributions on pore forming bacteriocins, the mechanisms of immunity to bacteriocins, uptake and secretion, as well as evolution of bacteriocins. It is of particular interest that the lantibiotic nisin is approved for use as food preservative and another lantibiotic, epidermin, has potential as a therapeutic drug against acne.