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Review
. 2021 Oct 5;30(12):1481-1496.
doi: 10.1007/s10068-021-00981-1. eCollection 2021 Nov.

Natamycin: a natural preservative for food applications-a review

Mahima Meena  1 , Priyanka Prajapati  1 , Chandrakala Ravichandran  2 , Rachna Sehrawat  3
Affiliations
Review

Natamycin: a natural preservative for food applications-a review

Mahima Meena et al. Food Sci Biotechnol. .

Abstract

Natamycin is a natural antimicrobial peptide produced by the strains of Streptomyces natalensis. It effectively acts as an antifungal preservative on various food products like yogurt, khoa, sausages, juices, wines, etc. Additionally, it has been used as a bio preservative and is listed as generally recognized as a safe ingredient for various food applications. In this review, natamycin properties, production methods, toxicity, and application as a natural preservative in different foods are emphasized. This review also focuses on optimal condition and process control required in natamycin production. The mode of action and inhibitory effect of natamycin on yeast and molds inhibition and its formulation and dosage to preserve various food products, coating, and hurdle applications are summarized. Understanding the scientific factors in natamycin's production process, its toxicity, and its efficiency as a preservative will open its practical application in various food products.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-021-00981-1.

Keywords: Food applications; Mode of action; Natamycin; Production; Toxicity.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interestAll authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Mode of action of Natamycin on a fungal cell. (A) Presents the schematic diagram of a fungal cell and location of sterol and membrane channels within a cell. (B) Affinity of natamycin towards sterol resulting in formation of polyene sterol complex. (C) Leakage of membrane channel with loss of ions and peptides from fungal cell
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Process flow diagram for Natamycin production
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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