Las bacteriocinas y su efecto sinérgico con tecnologías emergentes en alimentos.

Bacteriocins --peptides synthesized by bacteria that have great potential as food preservatives--are a good alternative to replace chemical additives and produce minimally processed foods. The more widely studied bacteriocins in the food industry are those derived from lactic acid bacteria (LAB) because they are Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS). However, bacteriocins have certain disadvantages when applied to food, especially dairy products. Such drawbacks can be remedied by combining bacteriocins with other treatments emerging from the food industry. The objective of this research was to analyze the main bacteriocins used and their synergistic effect on pathogenic and/or spoilage bacteria, when applied in combination with other treatments such as chemical substances, lactoperoxidase system, high hydrostatic pressures, nanoparticles, bacteriophages and essential oils. The results of this study indicate that applying bacteriocins with other treatments can increase antimicrobial activity, which improves food safety. It is concluded that the best combinations of bacteriocins and emerging technologies are bacteriocins and nanoparticles and bacteriocins with bacteriophages, whose combinations inhibit the growth of both Gram-positive and Gramnegative bacteria. The advantages that such combinations offer are: They are easily applied to foods, are low cost, do not modify the sensory characteristics of the product, allow combating antimicrobial resistance and completely destroy microorganisms without giving them the opportunity to recover during the maturation or storage period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]