Bacteriocin-Producing OV3-6 as a Bio-Preservative Agent to Produce Fermented Thunb. Beverages: A Preliminary Study.

Microbial contamination affects the quality of the fermented Thunb. () beverage (FHB). The present study aimed to assess the bio-preservative property of OV3-6 ( OV3-6) during the production of FHB. The antimicrobial activity against , , , and and the survival of OV3-6 were studied. Then, FHB fermentation was performed with different preservatives (non-preservative, OV3-6, cell-free supernatant of OV3-6, and nisin) with and without representative pathogens. The maximum antimicrobial activity against and was observed after 18 h of cultivation in an MRS medium. OV3-6 was used as a starter to produce the FHB, and the strain survived up to 48 h in the fermented beverage. OV3-6 and its cell-free supernatant inhibited the growth of , , , and in the stimulated FHB. The non-preservatives and nisin-containing FHB showed inhibition against Gram-positive pathogens. The FHB treated with OV3-6 was rich in lactic acid bacteria, and the product was at an acceptable level of pH (less than 4.3). Certain limitations were identified in the study, such as lack of nutritional, metabolomics analysis, and safety and consumer acceptability of FHB. The results suggested that OV3-6 could be used as a bio-preservative to produce fermented plant beverages (FPBs).