SEEMA P. NAIR AND P.K. SURENDRAN
Abstract
Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) was primarily used for the preservation of highly perishable foods,. LAB exerts a strong antagonistic activity against many microorganisms including food spoilage organisms and pathogens. Occurrence of LAB in frozen fish vis-a-vis total bacterial counts were investigated and selected Lactobacillus cultures were studied for their biochemical characteristics and antibacterial activity against psychrotrophic food borne pathogens like Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella typhimurium. LAB counts of the order of 102-105 were found in 15 different species of frozen fish obtained from local cold storage's of Kochi, Listeria monocytogenes was inhibited by all ten strains and Salmonella typhimurium was inhibited seven Lactobacillus cultures tested. The antibacterial activity was partially due to organic acids produced and bacteriocins