Efficient Production of Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobials by OSY-EC Using Acid Whey-Based Medium and Novel Antimicrobial Concentration Approach.

Production of some antimicrobial peptides by bacterial producers is a resource-intensive process, thus, using inexpensive growth media and simplifying antimicrobial extraction and down-stream processing are highly desirable. Acid whey, a dairy industry waste, is explored as a medium for production of broad-spectrum antimicrobials from selected bacteriocinogenic bacteria. Neutralized and yeast extract-supplemented acid whey was suitable for production of antimicrobials by four tested strains, but OSY-EC was the most prolific antimicrobial producer. Concentrating synthesized antimicrobials during culture incubation using beads of polymeric adsorbent resin, followed by solvent extraction and freeze-drying, resulted in antimicrobials-rich powder (AMRP). Under these conditions, OSY-EC produced paenibacillin, polymyxin E, and fusaricidin, which are active against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi, respectively. When media containing 2x and 4x minimum inhibitory concentrations of AMRP were inoculated with and , microbial populations decreased by ≥4-log CFU ml in tryptic soy broth and ≥3.5-log CFU ml in milk. The antimicrobial mechanism of action of AMRP solutions was attributed to the disruption of cytoplasmic membrane of indicator strains, and . These findings exemplify promising strategies for valorization of acid whey microbial bioreactions to yield potent antimicrobials.