The Bombay Technologist

Biopreservation of Food Using Bacteriocins, Bacteriophages and Endolysins

Spardha Jhamb

Department of Food Engineering and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology

Keywords: Bacteriocins, Bacteriophages, Endolysins, Mode of Action, Current and Foreseen Applications, Mode of Action.

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Abstract

The loss of faith of consumers in the chemical preservatives due to safety concerns associated with them and considering toxic effects in the human body in some cases, has led to their gradual withdrawal and replacement by biopreservatives. Also, food-borne outbreaks and increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant micro-organisms has led to a search for novel preservation techniques. This has prompted the quest for new natural antimicrobial compounds from different origins. Bacteriocins have been widely recognized as natural food biopreservatives but latest advances on bacteriocin biology have opened new fields to explore. On the contrary, the use of bacteriophages and endolysins in the food industry has only been considered in the last ten years and recent developments have produced promising perspectives. This report provides an overview of the current as well as foreseen applications of bacteriocins, bacteriophages and phage-encoded endolysins along the entire food chain and distinctly highlights their mode of action.