title: Antimicrobial activity of nisin against Oenococcus oeni and other wine bacteria.
abstract: Nisin is a bacteriocin used against food spoilage bacteria. Sulphur dioxide is a potent antioxidant as well as an antimicrobial agent widely used in the wine industry. In this study we describe the effect of these important antibacterial agents on the growth of a collection of 64 lactic acid bacteria (23 Oenococcus, 29 Lactobacillus, 3 Leuconostoc and 9 Pediococcus), 23 acetic acid bacteria and 20 yeast isolates, most of them recovered from wine. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimal bactericide concentrations of nisin, potassium metabisulphite and ethanol were determined. Nisin MIC(50) values for the tested isolates were as follows: 0.024, 12.5, 200 and > or micro for oenococci, lactobacilli-pediococci-leuconostoc, acetic acid bacteria and yeasts, respectively. Synergistic effects on bacterial growth inhibition were observed, and potassium metabisulphite MIC(50) values decreased from one to three orders of dilution when it was combined with subinhibitory concentrations of nisin in the growth media. This effect was observed in all lactic acid bacteria species of our study. Significant differences in nisin sensitivity were observed between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and between Oenococcus oeni and other species of lactic acid bacteria. It is concluded that appropriate combinations of nisin and metabisulphite could control the growth of spoilage bacteria in wine and therefore allow a decrease in the levels of sulphur dioxide currently used by the wine industry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Agriculture, Faculty of Science, University of La Rioja, Av. Madre de Dios 51, 26006 Logroño, Spain.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rojo-Bezares
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sáenz
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zarazaga
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Larrea
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005285:Fermentation; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D006095:Gram-Positive Cocci / Q000187:drug effects*; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D007934:Leuconostoc / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009561:Nisin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010376:Pediococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D013447:Sulfites / Q000494:pharmacology; D014920:Wine / Q000382:microbiology*; D015003:Yeasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D013447:Sulfites; D009561:Nisin; D000431:Ethanol; C005199:potassium metabisulfite