ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF PEDIOCOCCUS STRAINS AGAINST SOME LISTERIA SPP. DURING CO- CULTIVATION UNDER STATIC GROWTH CONDITIONS

Pediococci are lactic acid bacteria widely used as starter cultures in the food industry, which produce lactic acid and bacteriocins (pediocins) possessing significant antilisterial potential. This research aimed to investigate the antimicrobial activity of three Pediococcus strains (Pediococcus pentosaceus, Pediococcus acidilactici and Pediococcus damnosus) against three Listeria strains (Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria innocua and Listeria ivanovii) to determine the growth characteristics and kinetic parameters during the process of co-cultivation at 37 +/- 1 degrees C. The results demonstrated that P. pentosaceus possessed a bacteriostatic effect on L. monocytogenes, but a bactericidal effect on L. innocua and L. ivanovii, and on the 60-th h no viable cells of both pathogens were detected. P. acidilactici demonstrated a strong bactericidal effect on the three Listeria strains, as L. monocytogenes was completely inhibited on the 48-th h and L. innocua and L. ivanovii were inhibited on the 60-th h of co-cultivation. In contrast, P. damnosus showed only a bacteriostatic effect on the three pathogens tested. Therefore, the strains P. pentosaceus and P. acidilactici can be successfully applied in the food industry as biopreservatives and as means to improve the food safety by inhibition of Listeria spp., which are among the most common pathogens in food products of animal origin.