Abstract
An antimicrobially active bacterium which was identified as Bacillus brevis, was isolated from kimchi. The antimicrobial activity was found against various Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria including some pathogens food-spoilage microorganisms, and some yeast strains. The antimicrobial activity was especially strong against Bacillus anthracis and Shigella dysenteriae. The strong activity was observed during an early stationary phase in the culture when incubated at 37°C with initial medium pH of 6.8. The antimicrobial activity was found to be stable at 90°C for 30 min and in the pH range of 3-11, and it was insensitive to organic solvents including acetone, acetonitrile, ethanol, and methanol. Analysis of the bacteriocin on tricine-sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel suggested a molecular mass of approximately 4.5-6.0 kDa. The antimicrobial substance was characterized as a bacteriocin, because of its proteinaceous nature and low molecular weight. The bacteriocin could potentially be used as a food preservative, because of its thermostable property and broad antimicrobial spectrum.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 577-584 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Journal of microbiology and biotechnology |
Volume | 11 |
Issue number | 4 |
Publication status | Published - 2001 |
Keywords
- Antimicrobial activity
- Bacillus brevis
- Bacteriocin
- Kimchi
- Tricine-SDS-PAGE
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biotechnology
- Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology