Abstract
Pediococcus acidilactici LAB 5 produces antifungal compound(s), as well as bacteriocin, which was isolated from vacuum packed fermented meat. This bacterium exhibits varying degrees of antifungal activity against a number of food and feed borne molds and plant pathogenic fungi, such as Alternaria solani, Aspergillus fumigaus, A. parasiticus, Cladosporium herbarum, Colletotrichum acutatum, Curvularia lunata, Fusarium oxysporum, Microsporium sp, Mucor sp, and Penicillium sp. The production of antifungal compound(s) showed a great degree of media specificity and it was strictly restricted to MRS agar media. No production of antifungal compounds was detected in TGE, and TGE+ Tween 80 plates, though the latter supported the highest amount of bacteriocin production at 37°C after 24 hrs. Antifungal compound produced by LAB 5 was extracted using diethyl ether. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of the compound were determined against Curvularia lunata. Chemically the antifungal substance was a phenolic compound with aromatic unsaturation, as evidenced by UV and IR spectroscopy. This is the first report of the production of antifungal compounds by Pediococcus acidilactici LAB 5.