IOSR Journal Of Pharmacy (e)-ISSN: 2250-3013, (p)-ISSN: 2319-4219 Www.Iosrphr.Org Volume 3, Issue 4 (May 2013), Pp 44-50 44 Lactic Acid Bacteria:Bacteriocin Producer: A Mini Review Moshood A. Yusuf Department of Biotechnology, Kulliyyah of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia, Bandar Indera Mahkota, Jalan Istana, 25200 Kuantan, Malaysia. Tengku Haziyamin Abdul Tengku Abdul Hamid Department of Biotechnology, Kulliyyah of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia, Bandar Indera Mahkota, Jalan Istana, 25200 Kuantan, Malaysia. Summary: LAB is a diverse bacterial group consisting of 11 genuses. These bacteria are Gram-positive, non- spore-forming, coccus or rods but aerotolerant , able to ferment carbohydrates into energy and lactic acid. Lactic acid bacteria produce various compounds such as organic acids, diacetyl, hydrogen peroxide, and bacteriocins or bactericidal proteins during lactic acid fermentations. Bacteriocins are peptides produced by a variety of microbes and have antimicrobial activity against closely related species. These antimicrobial agents are gaining more and more attention as an alternative therapeutics not only in pharmaceutical but also as a preservative in food industries. The main aim of this review is to highlight lactic acid bacteria and its bacteriocins. Keywords: bacteriocins, lactic acid bacteria, alternative therapeutics, pharmaceutical. Bacteriocidal proteins I. LACTIC ACID BACTERIA (LAB) Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are known to be Gram-positive, non-spore-forming rods, cocci and cocco-bacilli non-aerobic but aerotolerant, able to ferment carbohydrates into energy and lactic acid1. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) belong to the phylum Firmicutes. The different major genera of LAB include: Lactobacillus, Weissella Lactococcus, Melissococcus, Enterococcus, Lactosphaera, Leuconostoc, Oenococcus, Pediococcus, Streptococcus, Vagococcus, Carnobacterium and Tetragenococcus. Other genera include: Aerococcus, Propionibacterium, Microbacterium, and Bifidobacterium 2 .LAB constitutes a highest percentage of bacteria that produce probiotic properties 3,4,5 Among compounds produce by Lactic acid bacteria during lactic acid fermentations are: organic acids, diacetyl, hydrogen peroxide, and bacteriocins or bactericidal proteins [6,7,8,9]. The vast majority of bacteriocins from gram-positive bacteriacome from lactic acid bacteria [10 , 11]. . II. BACTERIOCINS Bacteriocinsare synthesizedribosomally and may be bacteriostatic or bactericidal proteins and peptides [12]. Different bacterial species are known to produce them including numerous members of the lactic acid bacteria [13]. Bacteriocins have been described as an inhibitory agent against a number of other bacteria [14 , 15,16,17,18]. According to the findings of Todorov and Dicks [19],bacteriocins production is influenced mainly by the temperature, source of nutrients andpH. Many physicochemical factors seemed to affect bacteriocin production as well as its activity. Despite the fact that antimicrobial peptides have an inhibition spectrum narrower than that of antibiotics [20 , 21], the bacteriocins produced by LAB have been reported to infiltrate the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria and to encourage the inactivation of Gram-negative bacteria in combination with other enhancing antimicrobial environmental factors, such as organic acid, low temperature and detergents materials [22, , 23]. Bacteriocins are generally named based on the genus or species of the strain producing it. For example, L. plantarum produce plantaricin, Lactococcus spp. (lacticin, nisin), and Carnobacterium spp. (carnocin), Enterococcus spp (enterocin). Leuconostoc spp. (leucocin) Pediococcus spp. Pediocin. 2.1 Habitat of LAB These microorganismsareubiquitous in nature found in milk, meat, fermented products, fermented vegetables and beveragessometimes as dominating microflora 24 .Lactic acid bacteria isolate was first discovered in milk 2 , soil, water, manure and sewage are other environments were LAB were isolated 8 . Human also harbor LAB [25,26,5]and in animal [27, 5]. .