Polylysine

Consumers have been consistently concerned about possible adverse health effects from the presence of chemical additives in their foods. As a result, consumers are drawn to natural and fresher foods with no chemical preservatives added. This perception has stimulated research interest in finding natural but effective preservatives. Use of natural or controlled microbiota or antimicrobials as a way of preserving food and extending its shelf life is termed as biopreservation. The biopreservation of food, especially utilizing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that are inhibitory to food spoilage microbes, has been practiced since early ages. Beneficial bacteria or the fermentation products produced by these bacteria are used in biopreservation to control spoilage and render pathogens inactive in food. Followed by bacteriocin, poly- l -lysine and its derivatives have gained recent attention in food sector and used as preservative in diverse food products. They are watersoluble, edible, and nontoxic with respect to the environment and humans. In general, cationic polypeptides (such as –PLL) have been used as auxiliary agents in drug delivery systems. PL is rich in cations, which has a strong electrostatic force with anionic substance and good penetration to biofilms. So it can be used as the carrier of drugs. It improves drug efficacy when polymerized with carbamoyl purine, a drug for leukemia, tumor. In bioscience researches, it is a good fusogenic agent used in electrofusion method. This review reveals the biopreservation principles of poly- l- lysine and its potential applications in nutraceuticals, which would suggest the possible utilization of polylysine as an effective, biocompatible food preservation.