Nisin is a food preservative produced by a group of Gram-positive bacteria from Lactococcus and Streptococcus species.
In the EU nisin, E 234, is authorized for use in several food categories as a food additive under Annex II of Regulation (EC) 1333/2008. It was first identified in 1928 in fermented milk cultures and commercially marketed in England as an antimicrobial agent in 1953. Later, in 1969, the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) accepted it as a safe food additive. In 1988 Food and Drug Administration in the United States gave nisin GRAS status (generally recognized as safe) and was approved for use in processed cheeses. Currently, nisin is allowed in over 50 countries. Toxicology studies have shown that nisin intake does not provoke toxic effects, and LD50 was 6950 mg/kg, similar to table salt when consumed.
The primarily reported variant of nisin, nisin A, is produced by Lactococcus lactis. Afterward, at least six different forms of nisin have been identified and described, denoted as A–E and Z.
Nisin is a heat-stable peptide naturally occurring in dairy and belongs to a class I A lantibiotic bacteriocin. It has an inhibitory effect against Gram-positive bacteria, including their spore forms, but, it has little or no effect on Gram-negative bacteria, yeasts, and fungi.
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are known to inhibit the growth of harmful microorganisms in fermented foods. This preservative effect comes from a combination of subproducts of fermentation - mainly lactic and acetic acid, acetaldehyde, diacetyl and hydrogen, and beforementioned bacteriocins. The ability to produce bacteriocins is relatively common in LAB, however, it is highly strain-specific. Nisin exhibits antibacterial properties against:
Streptococcus mutans,
Streptococcus sanguinis,
Lactobacillus acidophilus,
Enterococcus faecalis,
Listeria monocytogenes,
Staphylococcus aureus,
Bacillus cereus,
Lactobacillus plantarum,
Micrococcus luteus,
Micrococcus flavus.
Interest in nisin and other lantibiotics from their three characteristics: no toxicity at antimicrobial concentrations, potent and broad-spectrum activity, and low likelihood of causing bacterial resistance. The last one is highly important!
Although nisin is used mainly against food-borne bacteria, it could be additionally applied to a range of non-food-related microbes.
Nisin in combination with other antibiotic technics (chelating agents, sublethal heat, high pressure, pulsed electric field, lysozyme + citrate, potassium sorbate, or lactoperoxidase) had an increased effect against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens.
Moreover, newer bioengineered nisin variants have therapeutic potential for human diseases such as atopic dermatitis, stomach ulcers, and colon intestinal infections for patients with immunodeficiency.
Nisin has shown effectiveness to control respiratory tract infections caused by S. aureus in an animal model. There is also a possibility to use this bacteriocin as an alternative to antibiotics to treat staphylococcal mastitis in women during lactation.
According to Codex Alimentarius nisin is permitted in the following food categories:
Clotted cream (plain),
Unripened cheese,
Ripened cheese,
Processed cheese,
Cheese analogs,
Whey protein cheese,
Dairy-based desserts (e.g. pudding, fruit, or flavored yogurt),
Cereal and starch-based desserts (e.g. rice pudding, tapioca pudding),
Fine bakery wares (sweet, salty, savory) and mixes,
Liquid egg products,
Ready-to-eat soups and broths, including canned, bottled,
and frozen,
Flavored fluid milk drinks,
Heat-treated processed meat, poultry, and game products in whole pieces or cuts,
Heat-treated processed comminuted meat, poultry, and game products,
Nisin
Nisin
Nisin
Nisin is a food preservative produced by a group of Gram-positive bacteria from Lactococcus and Streptococcus species.
In the EU nisin, E 234, is authorized for use in several food categories as a food additive under Annex II of Regulation (EC) 1333/2008. It was first identified in 1928 in fermented milk cultures and commercially marketed in England as an antimicrobial agent in 1953. Later, in 1969, the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) accepted it as a safe food additive. In 1988 Food and Drug Administration in the United States gave nisin GRAS status (generally recognized as safe) and was approved for use in processed cheeses. Currently, nisin is allowed in over 50 countries. Toxicology studies have shown that nisin intake does not provoke toxic effects, and LD50 was 6950 mg/kg, similar to table salt when consumed.
The primarily reported variant of nisin, nisin A, is produced by Lactococcus lactis. Afterward, at least six different forms of nisin have been identified and described, denoted as A–E and Z.
Nisin is a heat-stable peptide naturally occurring in dairy and belongs to a class I A lantibiotic bacteriocin. It has an inhibitory effect against Gram-positive bacteria, including their spore forms, but, it has little or no effect on Gram-negative bacteria, yeasts, and fungi.
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are known to inhibit the growth of harmful microorganisms in fermented foods. This preservative effect comes from a combination of subproducts of fermentation - mainly lactic and acetic acid, acetaldehyde, diacetyl and hydrogen, and beforementioned bacteriocins. The ability to produce bacteriocins is relatively common in LAB, however, it is highly strain-specific. Nisin exhibits antibacterial properties against:
Streptococcus mutans,
Streptococcus sanguinis,
Lactobacillus acidophilus,
Enterococcus faecalis,
Listeria monocytogenes,
Staphylococcus aureus,
Bacillus cereus,
Lactobacillus plantarum,
Micrococcus luteus,
Micrococcus flavus.
Interest in nisin and other lantibiotics from their three characteristics: no toxicity at antimicrobial concentrations, potent and broad-spectrum activity, and low likelihood of causing bacterial resistance. The last one is highly important!
Although nisin is used mainly against food-borne bacteria, it could be additionally applied to a range of non-food-related microbes.
Nisin in combination with other antibiotic technics (chelating agents, sublethal heat, high pressure, pulsed electric field, lysozyme + citrate, potassium sorbate, or lactoperoxidase) had an increased effect against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens.
Moreover, newer bioengineered nisin variants have therapeutic potential for human diseases such as atopic dermatitis, stomach ulcers, and colon intestinal infections for patients with immunodeficiency.
Nisin has shown effectiveness to control respiratory tract infections caused by S. aureus in an animal model. There is also a possibility to use this bacteriocin as an alternative to antibiotics to treat staphylococcal mastitis in women during lactation.
According to Codex Alimentarius nisin is permitted in the following food categories:
Clotted cream (plain),
Unripened cheese,
Ripened cheese,
Processed cheese,
Cheese analogs,
Whey protein cheese,
Dairy-based desserts (e.g. pudding, fruit, or flavored yogurt),
Cereal and starch-based desserts (e.g. rice pudding, tapioca pudding),
Fine bakery wares (sweet, salty, savory) and mixes,
Liquid egg products,
Ready-to-eat soups and broths, including canned, bottled,
and frozen,
Flavored fluid milk drinks,
Heat-treated processed meat, poultry, and game products in whole pieces or cuts,
Heat-treated processed comminuted meat, poultry, and game products,
Edible casings (e.g. sausage casings).