Isolation of Pediococcus acidilactici Kp10 with ability to secrete bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance from milk products for applications in food industry

Abstract

Background: Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) can be isolated from traditional milk products. LAB that secrete substances that inhibit pathogenic bacteria and are resistant to acid, bile, and pepsin but not vancomycin may have potential in food applications.

Results: LAB isolated from a range of traditional fermented products were screened for the production of bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances. A total of 222 LAB strains were isolated from fermented milk products in the form of fresh curds, dried curds, and ghara (a traditional flavor enhancer prepared from whey), and fermented cocoa bean. Eleven LAB isolates that produced antimicrobial substances were identified as Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Pediococcus acidilactici strains by biochemical methods and 16S rDNA gene sequencing. Of these, the cell-free supernatant of Kp10 (P. acidilactici) most strongly inhibited Listeria monocytogenes. Further analysis identified the antimicrobial substance produced by Kp10 as proteinaceous in nature and active over a wide pH range. Kp10 (P. acidilactici) was found to be catalase-negative, able to produce β-galactosidase, resistant to bile salts (0.3%) and acidic conditions (pH 3), and susceptible to most antibiotics.

Conclusion: Traditionally prepared fermented milk products are good sources of LAB with characteristics suitable for industrial applications. The isolate Kp10 (P. acidilactici) shows potential for the production of probiotic and functional foods.

Figure 1

Agarose gel electrophoresis of PCR products amplified using 16S rDNA primers. M, GeneRuler DNA Ladder; lanes 1–11 are Kp8, Kp10, Gh1, Com4, Com5, Pak1, Pak7, C6, C7, C13, and C22, respectively; lane 12, negative control (no template).

Figure 2

Phylogenetic relationship of Kp10 with related species based on partial 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis. The phylogenetic tree was constructed using the neighbour-joining method (CLC Sequence Viewer 6.5.2). The numbers at the nodes are bootstrap confidence levels (percentage) from 1,000 replicates. The scale bar represents 0.120 substitutions per nucleotide position. Reference sequences were obtained from the GenBank nucleotide sequence database.

Figure 3

Tolerance of the isolate Kp10 (P. acidilactici) to acidic conditions and bile salts. Results are expressed as mean and standard deviation; tests were performed in triplicate.