Letters in Applied Microbiology, 2023, 76, 1–8 https://doi.org/10.1093/lambio/ovad015 Advance access publication date: 27 January 2023 Research Article Functionality of the bacteriocin sakacin G produced by Lactobacillus curvatus ACU-1 on cooked sausages under industrial conditions Franco Paolo Rivas * and Oscar Alfredo Garro Laboratorio de Microbiología de Alimentos - Instituto de Investigaciones en Procesos Tecnológicos Avanzados (INIPTA: CONICET-UNCAUS). Universidad Nacional del Chaco Austral - Comandante Fernández 755 - 3700 Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña, Chaco, Argentina ∗ Corresponding author. Laboratorio de Microbiología de Alimentos - Instituto de Investigaciones en Procesos Tecnológicos Avanzados (INIPTA: CONICET-UNCAUS). Universidad Nacional del Chaco Austral - Comandante Fernández 755 - 3700 Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña, Chaco, Argentina. E-mail: rivas@uncaus.edu.ar Abstract Biopreservation is an alternative to prevent the growth of pathogens and reduce microbial spoilage in food based on the use of microorganisms and/or their metabolic products. The objective of this study was to determine the optimal mode of application and the effectiveness of cell-free supernatant (CFS) from Lactobacillus curvatus ACU-1, containing sakacin G, in Vienna-type sausages to control Listeria and spoilage fora. The functionality and the optimal dosage form between CFS, producing bacteria, a combination or concentrate of bacteriocin applied on Vienna-type sausages before and after stuf fng the casings on an industrial scale were determined. Sakacin G was effective for the control of Listeria applied to the casing both before and after stuf fng. The application of the antimicrobial on the ready sausages inhibits both lactic acid bacteria and mesophilic microorganisms from zero sampling time. The heat resistance of the bacteriocin in the food was verifed under industrial manufactur- ing conditions. The antimicrobial activity of sakacin G was maintained throughout the period studied in all the conditions tested. In conclusion, the application of CFS containing bacteriocin is useful given both before and after casing stuf fng; but the application prior to the stuf fng is more practical for the process of elaboration. Signifcance and impact of the study The present work shows the functionality of the cell-free supernatant from Lactobacillus curvatus ACU-1, containing sakacin G, in controlling the growth of undesirable bacteria in cooked cured foods. Showing its potential use as a natural preservative for meat products in total or partial replacement of other chemical preservatives. The application of the antimicrobial on the casings prior to stuf fng the meat mass is presented as a practical, economical and effective technological option for its application. Since it does not greatly modify the production diagram of the meat food, being also necessary smaller volumes of the medium that contains the bacteriocin. Keywords: casings, cooked sausages, biopreservation, bacteriocin, supernatant, Lactobacillus curvatus Introduction The contamination with microorganisms is one of the most common and crucial issues that need to be taken care of. It leads to deterioration in terms of taste as well as several food- borne illnesses are also associated with it (Villalobos-Delgado et al. 2019). To reduce the chances of food contamination sev- eral preservative actions have been taken. The use of chem- ical preservatives to lower the chances of intoxication is a highly popular method but it comes with several disadvan- tages also. This makes the requirement of the invention of chemical-free products, the addition of which to food prod- ucts will reduce the chances of contamination and make the food safer to consume (Kirtonia et al. 2021). To prevent the growth of pathogens and reduce the microbial spoilage, a new alternative is biopreservation, based on the use of microorgan- isms and/or their metabolic products to inhibit the growth of undesired microorganisms in foods (De Martinis et al. 2002). Bacteriocins are antimicrobials peptides may be defned as an- tibiotics produced from specifc strains of bacteria that can fght against other microorganisms (Lahiri et al. 2021). Bacte- riocins are considered safe food preservatives because of their capability of being digested in the human body easily. It also eliminates the threat of using chemical preservatives, which re- sults in maintaining the quality and safety of the food product (Kirtonia et al. 2021). Bacteriocins may be applied directly in foods, but its purifcation can reduce their antimicrobial ac- tivity, as these peptides may undergo enzymatic changes or interact with other components, such as proteins and lipids. However, a promising alternative is the use of cell-free super- natant (CFS) containing bacteriocin-like substances, since this incorporates biologically active metabolites that promote syn- ergistic effects in the products (Hartmann et al. 2011). As the growth of spoilage microbial population on vac- uum packed cured meats occurs essentially on the surface of the products, the effectiveness of an antimicrobial treatment could be enhanced by applying the antimicrobial compound to the surface of cooked meats. This could be achieved by dipping products in an antimicrobial bath (Gill and Holley, 2000), applying a spray (Cutter and Siragusa, 1998), coat- ing by an edible gel, or using a packaging system (Guerra et al. 2005). Moreover the surface addition of bacteriocins fa- cilitates distribution on the product and reduces interaction with meat component, improving the antimicrobial activity Received: November 28, 2022. Revised: January 19, 2023. Accepted: January 24, 2023 C  The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Applied Microbiology International. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/lambio/article/76/2/ovad015/7008502 by guest on 24 March 2023