ε- Polylysine
With the consumer trend toward natural products still going strong, food manufacturers have focused their efforts on searching for ingredient names that are known and trusted by consumers. ε-Polylysine has been accepted as a food antimicrobial of natural origin. This product is derived naturally from fermentation and it is acknowledged as label-friendly.
ε- Polylysine (ε- Poly-L-lysine, ε- PL for short) is a homopolymer that consists of 25-35 L-lysine residues. It’s produced by a fermentation process using Streptomyces albulus under aerobic conditions. It can effectively inhibit the growth of Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, yeasts, moulds, viruses etc, has been widely used in food, cosmetics, liquid fertilizer, pharmaceutical and other industries.
The control of Total Plate Count (TPC) is major challenge to global food manufacturers. Polylysine has been accepted as a food antimicrobial of natural origin and it is acknowledged as label-friendly. Polylysine shows high antimicrobial activity against fungi, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. It exhibits good water solubility and heat stability, and does not have an unpleasant odor. However, impure Polylysine contains more or less chloride and inorganic contents, increasing the risk of endotoxin and possible interaction with other ingredients.
Key Benefits
1. Broad antibacterial spectrum: it has obvious inhibition to Gram-positive bacterial, Gram-negative bacterial, yeasts, moulds, viruses and many other micro-organisms.
2. Good thermal stability: under high temperature (121℃ for 30min), ε- Polylysine does not decompose, so it is suitable for cooked food.
3. Good water-solubility: ε- Polylysine is easily soluble in water, the maximum solubility is 500g/L at least.
4. Wide PH range: under the condition of PH 2-9, ε- Polylysine has strong bactericidal ability, it can make up for the deficiencies that other preservatives have low activity in neutral and alkaline conditions.
5. Strong synergism: As a natural preservative, ε- Polylysine can be used alone. In addition, it has good synergistic effects when blending with other food additive (vinegar, alcohol, glycine, organic acid, etc). After blending, its bactericidal action will be greatly improved.
6. High safety: the acute toxicity test of ε- Polylysine (LD50) is 5g/kg which is equivalent to the toxicity of salt. After eating, it can be broken down into L-lysine, one of the essential amino acids for human health and can be absorbed by the human body, without any toxic and side effects.
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