Antifungal lactic acid bacteria as biopreservatives

Food-borne fungi, both yeasts and moulds, cause serious spoilage of stored food. Moulds may also produce health-damaging mycotoxins, e.g. aflatoxins, trichothecenes, fumonisin, ochratoxin A and patulin. Consumer demands for minimally processed foods and reduced use of chemical preservatives have stimulated research on antifungal lactic acid bacteria as biopreservatives. Recently, a number of antifungal metabolites, e.g. cyclic dipeptides, phenyllactic acid, proteinaceous compounds, and 3-hydroxylated fatty acids have been isolated from lactic acid bacteria. This review summarizes these findings and suggests potential applications of antifungal lactic acid bacteria in the preservation of food and feeds.