African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12496

Full Length Research Paper

Processing of byproducts to improve nisin production by Lactococcus lactis

Angela Faustino Jozala1,2*, Daniel P. Silva1, António A. Vicente1, José A. Teixeira1, Adalberto Pessoa Júnior2 and Thereza C. V. Penna2
1IBB - Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre of Biological Engineering, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal. 2Department of Biochemical-Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo / SP, Brazil.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 29 June 2011
  •  Published: 26 October 2011

Abstract

In the last years, disposal from dairy industries have received a special attention due its polluting power in the environment. For this reason, studies have obtained a positive support to develop different alternatives to recycle milk whey components. One of them is its utilization as culture media, aiming to produce biomolecules with noble applications. Nisin is an extracellular peptide, produced by Lactococcus lactis, this peptide has been applied as a natural additive once it presents broad antibacterial activity. Applications of this bacteriocin include dental care products, pharmaceutical products such as stomach ulcers and colon infection treatment and potential birth control. In batch cultures, L. lactis was performed in two different groups of assays. The first group milk whey was prepared in distilled water in four different concentrations: 100 g/l (S100); 50 g/l (S50); 30 g/l (S30); 10 g/l (S10). In the second group of assays, two supplements were added in milk whey with concentration 100 g/l (S100): (1) 5 g/l yeast extract (A1); (2) 5 g/l yeast extract and 10 ml (v/v) tomato extract. Nisin activity was assayed through agar diffusion utilizingLactobacillus sakei. The results show that the utilization of powder milk whey with concentration of 100 g/l can be used as a culture medium with supplementation. This media is favorable to develop L. lactis cells and nisin production, reaching an activity of about 4 logAU. Biological processing of milk byproduct can be considered as one of the profitable utilization alternatives, generating high-value bioproducts and stimulates researches for its use.

 

Key words: Nisin, byproducts, Lactococcus lactis, batch culture, powder milk whey.