Silicates characterization as potential bacteriocin-carriers

Industrial relevance: One of the crucial problems in the use of bacteriocins as food biopreservatives is obtaining and purifying these antimicrobials. The process generally has a poor yield and is industrially expensive. Hence, alternative techniques to deliver bacteriocins may be a likely option to encourage their use as bioprotectors. Silicates, inert compounds of large surface area, are suggested in this work as peptide immobilizers so that they may later be used in food. These inorganic compounds have already been authorized as food-grade anticaking, clarifying or filtering agents. The results achieved so far with adsorption and anti-Listeria activity preservation of bacteriocin, once they have been immobilized onto silicates, offer a promising and simple alternative to incorporate this compound into food.