Abstract
Salmonella Typhimurium is a major cause of foodborne illness. This study investigated the antibacterial activity, characterization, and mode of action of bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances (BLIS) produced by Levilactobacillus brevis PG-11, isolated from traditional Chinese kimchi. The BLIS of L. brevis PG-11 exhibited strong antibacterial activity against S. Typhimurium ATCC 14028. It also exhibited broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against various foodborne and human pathogens, including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus epidermidis. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the BLIS against E. coli, S. Typhimurium, and S. aureus was 62.5, 125, and 125 mg/ml. The active antibacterial substances were partially purified using dialysis and tricine-SDS-PAGE, revealing a molecular weight of less than 1 kDa for the active antibacterial substances. Furthermore, the BLIS was stable under acidic pH (pH 3.0-6.0), heat treatment (121°C, 20 min), UV radiation (4 h), and sensitivity to papain. Maximum antibacterial activity was observed during the stationary growth phase after 32 h of culture. Propidium iodide (PI) uptake, ATP leakage, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed that BLIS disrupted cell membrane integrity, leading to cell membrane damage pore formation, and bacterial growth inhibition. These results highlight the potential of L. brevis PG-11 BLIS as a natural biological preservative for food preservation applications.