Abstract
An antimicrobial fraction was fractionated from the water-extract of paprika seeds by salting out with ammonium sulfate and successive column chromatographies on DEAE Sepharose FF and Sephadex G-200. The fraction strongly inhibited the growth of yeasts, especially Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and its MIC value was 15.6 μg/ml. The main components of the antimicrobial fraction were proteins (52%) and neutral carbohydrates (24%). Viable cells completely disappeared within 24 h after the addition of the antimicrobial fraction to a growing culture of S. cerevisiae. The activity of the antimicrobial fraction was constant over a wide pH range from 4.0 to 7.0 and was not influenced by heat treatment (50 to 100°C). These outstanding characteristics indicate that the antimicrobial fraction may be a good food preservative for yeasts.
