Guest guest Posted May 20, 2004 Report Share Posted May 20, 2004 I thought you all might enjoy this. I've read that " good " bacteria are really good at fighting off the bad ones, and it's not just the acid they produce. One reason I use kefiili on my jerky and in bread and everything else ... mold won't grow easily on anything with kefiili in it, even after it is cooked. -- Heidi Jean > >Meet the bacteriocins: Defenders of human health > ><http://www.mb.com.ph/email_to_a_friend.php?id=9740 & flnm=http://www.mb.com.ph/i\ ssues/2004/05/17/WLBG200405179740.html> > >Tough yet tender, minute yet mighty. Meet the bacteriocins: tormentor (of bad bacteria), fermentor (of food), and faithful defender of human health. Bacteriocins are substances produced by lactic acid bacteria, more popularly known as lactobacilli whose natural home is the intestinal tract of man and animals. They are quite tough to enemy organisms, yet tender enough not to harm other beneficial bacteria and other living cells. They are microscopic in size, but their beneficial impact can reach worldwide heights. > >TOUGH ENEMY OF BAD BACTERIA > >When you are down with diarrhea, ulcer, and abdominal cramps, chances are you had eaten food which may be infected with bad bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, and H. pylori. These bad bacteria, called pathogens, weaken man’s defenses and cause infections and disease. They generally find their way to various foods through infected eggs and meat, and unwashed hands of food handlers. > >As the food is taken in and the bad bacteria cruise down the intestinal tract, they are immediately swamped by the body’s first line of defense in the area – the bacteriocins. Most commonly, bacteriocins attack these opponents by pricking holes in the cell membrane so that small molecules leak out. When the opponent’s cell can no longer maintain its energy metabolism, it dies. Compared to man-made antibiotics, bacteriocins tend to be quite specialized. They have a narrow spectrum of activity and only inhibit one or two other organisms, but leave other Lactobacilli and human cells unharmed. > >GOOD FERMENTORS OF FOOD > >Bacteriocins were first discovered by the dairy processing industry, which noticed that some bacteria used in food fermentation, such as in making sour cream, were better than others at preventing spoilage of the food. The truth is that bacteriocins have been faithfully doing their task for the last 4000 years. Our forefathers of yore, while yet unaware of the scientific basis, have used bacteriocins in preserving and producing cultured foods with improved preservation properties and with characteristic flavors and textures different from the original food. A good combination of bacteriocins and other variables such as temperature and composition of the food being fermented contribute to the features of different products, such as the slightly tart taste of fermented milk, and the unique aroma of yoghurt, cheese, buttermilk and others. As such, bacteriocins are also used in pickling of vegetables, baking, winemaking, curing fish, meats, and sausages. > >Lately, there has been a renewed interest in bacteriocins as sparked by the problem on the perennial loss in worldwide food supply caused by food spoilage. Chemical preservatives, once considered a must in food preservation, are slowly being eased out of the market as they are found to be hazardous to human health. As a result, food researchers are now zeroing in on biopreservation system where good bacteria are allowed to produce bacteriocins in food where they naturally grow or have been cultured. Bacteriocins are then purified and used as pure, natural preservatives in food. > >BACTERIOCIN RESEARCH IN THE COUNTRY > >In the country, studies on bacteriocins are being undertaken at the University of the Philippines Los Baños and Leyte State University, and funded by the Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research and Development (PCASTRD) under its R & D Support Program. Scientists involved in the studies are looking into the structure of bacteriocin at the molecular level in order to determine the substance’s further commercial uses. Researchers are also in the process of screening several locally available rootcrops for bacteriocin - producing microorganisms, the kinds of bacteriocins they synthesize, and their specific opponent organisms. > >Other PCASTRD-supported R & D projects on biotechnology involve molecular markers, gene mapping and sequencing, and production of enzymes. A planning council of the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) tasked to develop the advanced S & T sector which includes biotechnology, PCASTRD encourages and supports biotech R & D projects that will help strengthen the country’s capability in producing more precise, time-saving and cost-effective new strains of improved crops and products. > >(For more information on PCASTRD’s R & D Support Program, log on to <http://www.pcastrd.dost.gov.ph/>http://www.pcastrd.dost.gov.ph or e-mail PCASTRD at <mailto:pcastrd@...>pcastrd@...) > >Copyright ©2001 <http://www.mb.com.ph/>Manila Bulletin. > >http://www.mb.com.ph/WLBG200405179740.html > > > > > > > > >__________________________________________________ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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