LAB bacteriocin applications in the last decade

In the early 2000s, the expectations about bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria (LABs) were aimed at food applications. However, the effectiveness of bacteriocins against undesirable micro-organisms opened endless possibilities for innovative research. In the present review, we collected a database including 429 published papers and 245 granted patents (from 2004 to 2015). Based on bibliometric analysis, the progress of bacteriocin research in the last 11 years was discussed in detail. It was found that 164 patents were granted in 2010–2015, which is equivalent to 60% in comparison with previous years (i.e. only 81 patents were granted in 2004–2009). Currently, the research on bacteriocins is still gaining importance. In the realm of therapeutic strategies, about a 37% of the published research was focused on biomedical applications in the last decade. This vein of research is currently seeking for alternative solutions to problems such as cancer, systemic infections, oral-care, vaginal infections, contraception and skincare. On the other hand, food preservation, bio-nanomaterial and veterinary applications represent 29%, 25% and 9%, respectively. All this technology is being applied and will surely grow in the future, since about 31% of the patents granted since 2004 are focused on the biomedical area, 29% on food preservation, 5% on veterinary use; whereas 13% and 16% correspond to patents granted on production–purification systems and recombinant proteins or molecular modifications in the producer strains. This review contributes to the analysis of recent LAB bacteriocin applications and their role in safety, quality and improvement of human health.

21世纪初，人们对乳酸菌（lactic acid bacteria, LABs）所产细菌素（bacteriocins）的预期主要聚焦于食品应用领域。然而，细菌素对有害微生物的抑制效力，为创新性研究开辟了无限可能。本综述构建了一个数据库，收录了2004至2015年间发表的429篇学术论文与245件授权专利。通过文献计量分析，本文详细探讨了近11年来细菌素研究的发展态势。研究结果显示，2010-2015年期间共授权164件专利，相较于2004-2009年的81件专利，占比高达60%。当前，细菌素相关研究的重要性仍在持续提升。在治疗策略领域，近十年约37%的已发表研究聚焦于生物医学应用，该研究方向目前正致力于解决癌症、全身性感染、口腔护理、阴道感染、避孕及皮肤护理等领域的难题。另一方面，食品保鲜、生物纳米材料及兽医学应用的占比分别为29%、25%与9%。此类技术目前已投入实际应用，且未来势必实现进一步发展：2004年以来授权的专利中，约31%聚焦于生物医学领域，29%应用于食品保鲜，5%用于兽医学场景；另有13%与16%的专利分别涉及生产-纯化系统，以及生产菌株的重组蛋白或分子改造相关内容。本综述旨在对近年来乳酸菌细菌素的应用场景进行分析，并探讨其在保障安全、提升品质与改善人类健康方面的重要作用。