Screening and Characterization of Bacteriocin Produced by Alcaligenes faecalis (Strain MW4) Isolated from Vegetable Waste

Abstract

Bacteriocins are defined as proteinaceous compounds produced by almost all bacteria that specifically kill the closely interrelated species. Due to the emergence of antibiotic resistance, this bacteriocin have evolved as an alternative with several advantages such as target specificity and cost effectiveness.  The objective of this present study is to screen and isolate the bacteriocin producing bacteria from vegetable waste. In this regard, Vegetable waste material was grinded with distilled water and was plated on to MRS   (deMan Rogosa and Sharpe) and BHI (Brain Heart Infusion) agar plate. A total of 10 bacterial colonies were isolated from this sample and found to be bacteriocin producing organism by agar well diffusion method.   Among these ten isolates, strain no. MW-4 showed good activity against clinical and cattle field environmental pathogens. The strain MW-4 was identified as Alcaligenes faecalis by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and the protein profiling was confirmed the presence of low molecular weight bacteriocin around 3-5 KDa. Spectrum analysis shows an evidence of peptides in its distinctive absorption bands equivalent to N-H stretching of proteins and peptide bonds.  The results of this study suggest that the strain MW4 could be used as a potential bio-control agent in the cattle field. However further studies are required to clarify the type and nature of bacteriocin and predict the structure of peptide linkage so that it can find the application in bio-control agent in the treatment of environmental pathogens.