Lactic Acid Bacteria as Natural Biopreservation Agents in Modern Food Systems: Mechanisms, Antimicrobial Metabolites, and Industrial Applications
Agus Susilo *
Department of Animal Product Technology, Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, East Java 65145, Indonesia and Animal Product Functional Food Research Group, Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, East Java 65145, Indonesia.
Khothibul Umam Al Awwaly
Department of Animal Product Technology, Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, East Java 65145, Indonesia and Animal Product Functional Food Research Group, Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, East Java 65145, Indonesia.
Firman Jaya
Department of Animal Product Technology, Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, East Java 65145, Indonesia and Animal Product Functional Food Research Group, Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, East Java 65145, Indonesia.
Premy Puspitawati Rahayu
Department of Animal Product Technology, Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, East Java 65145, Indonesia and Animal Product Functional Food Research Group, Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, East Java 65145, Indonesia.
Aldyon Restu Azkarahman
Department of Animal Product Technology, Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, East Java 65145, Indonesia and Animal Product Functional Food Research Group, Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, East Java 65145, Indonesia.
Mulia Winirsya Apriliyani
Department of Animal Product Technology, Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, East Java 65145, Indonesia and Animal Product Functional Food Research Group, Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, East Java 65145, Indonesia.
Windy Seftiarini
Animal Product Functional Food Research Group, Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, East Java 65145, Indonesia.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The global shift towards clean-label foods has placed the food industry under increasing pressure to maintain microbiological stability and shelf life without an excessive reliance on synthetic preservatives. Biopreservation using lactic acid bacteria (LAB) offers a scientifically grounded response to this demand. This chapter reviews the role of LAB as producers of natural preservation systems in modern food matrices, integrating literature published between 2008 and 2025. Three conceptual pillars underpin LAB-based biopreservation: ecological competition through nutrient and micronutrient depletion, modification of the food microenvironment via acidification and redox shifts, and the production of inhibitory metabolites. The metabolite spectrum discussed includes organic acids, hydrogen peroxide, carbon dioxide, diacetyl, bacteriocins, phenyllactic acid (PLA), and the reuterin system, each examined in terms of its mechanism of action, target microorganisms, and applicable food matrices. Bacteriocins are considered in detail as ribosomally synthesised antimicrobial peptides that act through pore formation and lipid II binding, with nisin remaining the principal example approved for wide regulatory use. Antifungal applications, particularly phenyllactic acid and sourdough-based systems capable of delaying mould growth in bread for approximately ten days, are also addressed, together with the reuterin system, which can be generated in situ from food-grade glycerol and exhibits broad-spectrum activity. Evidence from processed meat, dairy, bakery, and chilled ready-to-eat products indicates that protective cultures are currently the most industrially practical format, since antimicrobial metabolites are produced in situ and microorganisms with recognised safety status face comparatively straightforward regulatory pathways. The principal challenge is no longer demonstrating efficacy but standardising performance across matrices, preserving sensory quality, managing the risk of microbial adaptation and microbiome shifts, and satisfying regulatory and labelling requirements. Integration of omics-based strain selection, quantitative predictive modelling, encapsulation, and edible coating technologies within a multiple-hurdle framework is identified as the most promising direction for accelerating responsible industrial adoption.
Keywords: Lactic acid bacteria, biopreservation, bacteriocins, protective cultures, food safety, hurdle technology