Determining the Efficiency of Bacteriocins using Enzymes, at Varied pH, Temperature and the Ability of its Immunity Gene to Resist Antibioics Susceptibility

The uses of Lactic acid bacteria as probiotics have received considerable attention as a suitable alternative to antibiotics. Bacteriocins produced by LAB are used as biopreservative in foods, with a resultant reduction in the use of chemical preservatives. A typical bacteriocin contains a toxin gene, an immunity gene (which confers immunity to the producing organism), and a lysis gene, which encodes a protein that aids in toxin release from the producing cell. The aim of this research is to determine the efficiency of bacteriocin despite subjecting to different treatment and to find out the ability of bacteriocin producing cell to resist treatment with antibiotics inorder to be considered as a potential effective antitumour agent. Bacteriocins produced by Weissella cibaria CBA3612, Lactobacillus plantarum LZ95, Lactobacillus fermentum 3872, Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides SRA3 and Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 were subjected to several treatment with proteinase k and catalase, adjusted to pH 5,7,9 at temperature 500C, 750C and 900C then susceptibility of the lactic acid bacteria were tested on antibiotic disc and incubated. After incubation, the bacteriocins were deactivated by the enzymes. Bacteriocins from Lactobacillus plantarum showed high efficiency on E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus at pH 5 and showed thermostability but more effective at 500C. Most of the LAB were resistant to the antibiotics, this could be attributed to the presence of immunity gene protecting its bacteriocin-producing cell.