Fungicidal effect of bacteriocins harvested from Bacillus spp.

Abstract

Aims: This study investigated the ability of bacteriocins isolated from Bacillus spp. (Bacillus species) to inhibit fourdifferent yeast isolates obtained from common food products (nono, yoghurt, ogi and cheese) commonly consumed byNigerians with minimal heat treatment.Methodology and results: Forty-five Bacillus spp. was isolated and identified from common food products usingcultural, morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics. These isolates were tested for antimicrobialactivity against Salmonella enteritidis (3), Micrococcus luteus (1) and Staphylococcus aureus (2). Eight bacteriocinproducing strains were identified from an over- night broth culture centrifugated at 3500 revolutions for five minutes.Fungicidal effects of these bacteriocins were tested against four yeast strains using the Agar Well Diffusion method. Thebacteriocins produced wide zones of inhibition ranging from 5.9±0.000 to 24.00±0.000 mm against the 4 yeast strainstested. There was a significant difference (at p<0.05) between the yeast organisms and the bacteriocins from theBacillus spp.Conclusion, significance and impact of study: The study reveals the antifungal property of bacteriocins from Bacillusspp. and serves therefore as a base for further studies in its use in the control of diseases and extension of shelf-life ofproducts prone to fungi contamination.

Keywords

• Bacillus spp.
• Bacteriocins
• Yeasts
• Fungi
• Products