Isolation of anti-listerial bacteriocin producing Lactococcus lactis CFR-B3 from Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris).

Contamination of food samples by Listeria
monocytogenes is a major cause of food-borne infections. Controlling the growth of Listeria sp. by application of bacteriocin or
bacteriocin producing-organism in foods is one of the challenges in the development of effective bio-preservation process. The
objective of this study was to isolate and to characterize bacteriocinogenic strain Lactococcus lactis CFR-B3 from Indian beans.
Bacterial strain of Pediococcus acidilactici NRRL B1153 was used as indicator to screen bacteriocin production. The culture was
found to produce class IIa heat-stable anti-listerial bacteriocin of MW ~ 5 kDa. The use of food-grade organism as an indicator
for screening bacteriocinogenic strains of lactic acid bacteria circumvent the need for using pathogenic cultures such as listeria
spp. The native isolate Lc. lactis CFR-B3 finds its application in the preservation of vegetables due to its prevalence in the same
ecological niche.