PRODUCTION AND PRELIMINARY CHARACTERIZATION OF BACTERIOCIN FROM ENTEROCOCCUS FAECIUM AGAINST LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENESPAVANA JYOTHI CHERUKURI, REETHU NARAYANAN AND RAJANI CHOWDARY AKKINAAbstract The emergence of antibiotic resistance pathogens and limitation by chemical preservatives has raised to search for novel, safe, natural food preservatives. Bacteriocins are small molecular weight peptides derived from lactic acid bacteria are used as natural and safe food preservatives. The aim of the present study is to isolate a potential bacteriocin producing probiotic lactic acid bacteria, among 157 strains of lactic acid bacteria isolated from various foods, Enterococcus faecium KY711240 BL7 isolated from non fermented south Indian vada (a snack item) batter was selected based on potential bacteriocin production against Listeria monocytogenes. This bacteriocin is stable at autoclaving temperature (121 0C/ 15 minutes) active over pH range pH 3 â 9, sensitive to proteolytic enzymes and resistant to amylase and lipase enzymes. |