Paper Title
Screening of Lactobacillus from Curd and Idli Batter for Production of Bacteriocins
Abstract
Bacteriocins are ribosomal proteins of bacteria that are synthesized during the logarithmic phase of
cell growth cycle. These are antimicrobial products that kill or inhibit the growth of other closely related
bacteria. As these are naturally synthesized, they are believed to be less toxic than artificially synthesized
antibiotics and hence are ‘Generally Recognized as Safe’ (GRAS). In addition to this anticipatory role of
alternatives to conventional antibiotics, bacteriocins are used as preservatives in food and beverage industries.
They are also sought to be highly specific therapeutic agents in cancer therapy. Studies show that bacteriocins
are widely produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The following study aims at isolating novel bacteriocin
producing strain from sources rich in LAB namely curd and Idli batter. The strains were isolated based on their
antagonistic activity against indicator strains using cross-streak technique and agar well diffusion. Extraction
and purification of the strains is currently carried out using Chloroform extraction. Characterization of the
isolated strains will be done using gel electrophoresis and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) to
further decode the properties of the bacteriocin.
Index terms - Bacteriocins, ribosomal proteins, antimicrobial products, Cross-streak method, Agar well
diffusion.