Analysis of bacteria sensitivity to encapsulated nisin

Abstract

We determined that nisin-loaded pectin nanoparticles decreased the number of CFU of all microorganisms tested in a dose-dependent and pectin-dependent manner. With all microorganisms tested nisin-loaded high methoxyl pectin (HMP) nanoparticles demonstrated the lowest antibacterial activity. In contrary, nisin-loaded pectic acid (PecA) and dodecyl pectin (DoPecA) nanoparticles showed the greatest ability to inhibit growth of indicative Gram-negative and Gram-positive microorganisms. The value of pH of encapsulation buffer slightly affects the biological activity of nisin-bearing microcapsules. In summary, in this study we established that nisin maintains its antimicrobial activity after encapsulation, therefore could be effectively applied for food preservation.