Bacteriocins Of Lactic Acid Bacteria - Properties, Range Of Inhibitory Activity And Methods Of Detection

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) represent a group of safe organisms beneficial to health and important food preservers. It has been found that some members display antagonistic effects against pathogenic and spoilage bacteria. LAB can produce a variety of substances with antibacterial activity such as metabolic end products, antibiotic-like substances and bactericidal proteins, termed bacteriocins. This review summarises the current knowledge on the properties of bacteriocins, their structure, spectrum of activity and mode of action. The methods used to study bacteriocins are discussed.