Abstract

Different samples viz., Brackish water, mangrove leaf and mangrove soil were collected from the mangrove ecosystem of Pichavaram in Tamil Nadu, and the total viable count of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were enumerated in MRS agar medium by pour plate method after characterization of their morphological, physiological and biochemical characters, Six different bacteriocin producing lactic acid bacteria viz., Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Pediococcus acidilactici, Lactobacillus plantarum and Enterococcus faecalis were screened for their antibacterial activity against four different food borne bacterial pathogenic organisms viz., E. coli, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus. It was observed that E. coli was found to be sensitive to five LAB’s and moderately sensitive to one LAB. Salmonella typhi was found to be sensitive to five lactic acid bacteria and moderately sensitive to one lactic acid bacteria. Staphyloccous aureus was sensitive to five lactic LAB’s and moderately sensitive to one LAB and Bacillus cereus was sensitive to four lactic acid bacteria and moderately sensitive to two LAB’s. Among the four different pathogenic organisms tested, all the pathogens were inhibited either strongly or moderately by four different LAB’s viz., Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. Based on the results of the present study, it was concluded that the incorporation of bacteriocin producing LAB as a bio preservative into food system will be effective in controlling of certain food borne bacteria pathogenic microorganisms.