The role of bacteriocins in food safety and quality

消费者对新鲜、加工最少的方便食品的需求导致冷藏即食食品的供应大幅增加。目前，冷藏是能够污染这些产品的食源性病原体生长的唯一可靠障碍。乳酸菌产生抗菌肽，称为细菌素，它能抑制一些病原菌的生长。这种微生物通常存在于真空包装食品中，但我们没有可靠的分析方法来检测食品中的细菌素。我们开发了一种使用基质辅助激光解吸/电离飞行时间质谱仪检测细菌素的灵敏方法，并将该方法用于确定Nisin的命运，Nisin是一种被批准用于食品的细菌素。然而，我们还无法检测和量化食品中其他细菌素的产量。需要进一步的研究来提高检测食品中产生的细菌素的分析技术的敏感性和特异性。

Consumer demand for fresh, minimally processed, convenient food products has resulted in a tremendous increase in the availability of refrigerated, ready-to-eat foods. Currently, refrigeration is the only reliable hurdle to the growth of foodborne pathogens that can contaminate these products. Lactic acid bacteria produce antibacterial peptides, known as bacteriocins, which inhibit the growth of some pathogenic bacteria. The organisms are commonly found on vacuum packaged foods but we do not have reliable analytical methods for the detection of bacteriocins in foods. We developed a sensitive method for detection of bacteriocins using a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer and this method was used to determine the fate of nisin, a bacteriocin that is approved for use in foods. However, we have not been able to detect and quantify the production of other bacteriocins in foods. Further research is required to improve the sensitivity and specificity of analytical techniques for detection of bacteriocins produced in foods.