<b>Enterocin from </b><b><i>Enterococcus hirae</i></b><b> </b><b>as a Natural Antimicrobial: Characterization and Effective against </b><b><i>Escherichia coli</i></b><b> </b><b>and </b><b><i>Staphylococcus aureus</i></b>

This study analyzes the effectiveness of Enterocin produced by <i>Enterococcus hirae</i> against <i>Escherichia coli</i> and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>. Enterocin production was carried out by culturing <i>E. hirae</i> in MRS Broth at 37°C for 24 hours under anaerobic conditions. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that the enterocin had a molecular weight ranging from 6 to 8 kDa, consistent with Class II bacteriocins. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of amide functional groups, indicating the proteinaceous nature of the compound. Morphological damage in bacterial cells was visualized using FE-SEM, where treated cells exhibited disrupted membranes and structural disintegration. Subsequent EDX analysis supported ion leakage and cellular damage, while the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assay demonstrated the potent bactericidal effect of the enterocin. These findings indicate that enterocin from <i>E. hirae</i> exhibits significant bactericidal activity through membrane disruption and holds potential as a novel antimicrobial agent against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.