What is bacteriocin?

bacteriocin is a small molecule produced by bacteria that inhibits closely related tribes. It is usually a peptide or protein - chains of amino acid size. These compounds are interesting both in the studies of basic microbiology and to maintain food and strengthen human health. These toxins are produced by a wide range of bacteria. The first to be studied was that from Escherichia coli , a bacterium that lives in the human intestines and is often used in laboratory work. It produces a number of bacteriocins, the most studied are colicins .

There are several ways of bacteriocins can affect human health. Our intestines are teeming with the whole microbial world that helps digestion and affects our immune system. Many of these bacteria produce bacteriocin, which will help them gain support among competitions for resources. When you take antibiotics, it can kill beneficial bacteria, allowing pathogenic non -organisms taken over. Probiotics are pRosy microorganisms inserted into food so that they can conflict our intestinal tract. These bacteria are often known in the group as lactic acid bacteria, especially lactobaccillus . Bacteria of lactic acid convert sugars into lactic acid and other compounds in the absence of oxygen.

lactic acid bacteria produce a number of different types of bacteriocin, known as lantibiotics . It has been shown that some of them inhibit the growth of bacteria that can cause disease. Another type of lactic acid bacteria that lives in our intestines is enterococcus faecalis . Although this bacterium can be a human pathogen, several strains produce bacteriocin with activity against pneumococcal bacteria that cause pneumonia. Research has been carried out using non -patogenic strains that produce this bacteriocin to inoculate the noses of children to protect them from pneumokOceku pneumonia.

fermented foods are another area in which bacteriocins contribute to the effort to prevent pathogens from people. They are one of the several reasons for antimicrobial activity of lactic acid bacteria in these types of food. Other reasons include the production of antifungal compounds and organic acids. The starting cultures that produce bacteriocin have been tested with fermented sausage and cheese and found that in both cases it protects against potentially deadly pathogens listeria , and Clostridium .

As the research continues the industrial potential of bacteriocins, it is likely to be more use in the food industry. The use of probiotics has been a significantly expanding market since 2010. Microbiological research is likely to continue to identify new bacteriocins with new specifics that can be used to protect human health.