Bacteriocins, ribosomally synthesized by bacteria, have long been recognized for their role in ensuring food safety and security due to their antibacterial effects against foodborne pathogens and spoilage bacteria. However, recent advancements have unveiled their expanding potential beyond food applications, with increasing evidence of their efficacy against clinically significant pathogenic bacteria, biofilm formation, viral infections, and even cancer. These emerging discoveries have continuously added new layers to the application of bacteriocins, extending their relevance from food preservation to broader human health interventions. To further harness this expanding potential, various innovative strategies have been developed to overcome traditional limitations associated with bacteriocin use. Instead of directly employing bacteriocins or bacteriocin-producing bacterial cultures, novel approaches, such as incorporating them into films and packaging materials or coupling them with nanoparticles, have demonstrated enhanced effectiveness. In this review, we examine the evolving landscape of bacteriocin applications and shed light on the expanding functional spectrum of bacteriocins for both food safety and human health, although some important challenges and limitations remain. By analyzing the recent literature and innovative technological advancements, we highlight how bacteriocins are continuously evolving, opening new frontiers for their use and reinforcing their significance beyond their conventional roles.

Tarhana Anadolu’da kış için hazırlanan ve sık tüketilen fermente bir gıdadır. Fermente tarhana hamuru laktik asit bakterileri (LAB) ve maya türlerinden oluşan mikrofloraya sahiptir. Bu florada bazı LAB’de bakteriyosin üretimiyle antimikrobiyal aktivite gösterirler. Çalışmamızın amacı tarhanadan izole edilmiş L. namurensis PFC70, L. plantarum PFC74 ve L. paralimentarius PFC97 suşlarının bakteriyosinlerinin belirlenmesi ve karakterizasyonudur. PFC70, PFC74 ve PFC97 suşlarının Micrococcus luteus DSM1790 suşuna karşı 400, 1600, 1600 AU/mL antimikrobiyal aktiviteye sahip olduğu belirlenmiştir. Suşların kültür üst sıvılarındaki metabolitlerin yüksek sıcaklığa ve proteaz enzimlerine karşı hassas, düşük pH koşullarında stabil, bakteriyosin tabiatında olduğu anlaşılmıştır. Üretici hücrelerin genomunda yapılan PZR taramasında, PFC74 bakteriyosininin plantarisin benzeri olduğu belirlenmiştir. Bakteriyosinler, amonyum sülfat çöktürmesi, katı faz ekstraksiyonu ve ters faz sıvı kromotografisi ile saflaştırılmış ve trisin-SDS PAGE ile moleküler büyüklükleri 5 kDa altında olduğu tespit edilmiştir. PFC70 ve PFC74 bakteriyosini bakteriyosidal, PFC97 ise bakteriyostatik etkili bulunmuştur. Bu sonuçlar PFC70 suşunun yeni bir bakteriyosin üreticisi olduğunu göstermiştir.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have antimicrobial activity due to their bacteriocin production. Using bacteriocins in the production of foods has considerable contributions to improving food safety and extending shelf life. One of the essential characteristics of bacteriocins is that they have structural variations according to the variety of producers and, accordingly, they have different antimicrobial activity spectrums. Therefore, new bacteriocins still need to be investigated and characterized. In this study, bacteriocin-producing LAB were isolated from local fermented dairy of Bayburt and these bacteria were identified. The antimicrobial spectrum of bacteriocin-producing strains was then determined and their sensitivity to different temperatures and enzymes was characterized. Bacteriocin producing LAB were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum, Pediococcus pentosaceus and Enterococuus faecium, respectively. Theese strains were found to be antibacterial against 7, 6 and 4 different pathogens, respectively. It was determined that bacteriocins produced by all LAB lost their activity upon treatment with proteolytic enzymes and had a protein nature. Bacteriocins were found to be stable after 100 C for 10 minutes, 80 C for 10 minutes and 80 C for 15 minutes heat treatment, respectively.