Optimization of Enterocin Production from Probiotic Enterococcus faecium Using Taguchi Experimental Design.

Objectives: Enterocin is a significant broad-spectrum peptide antibiotic produced by Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium). Enterocin production by E. faecium was investigated using the Taguchi experimental design. The Taguchi models were used to save the time and effort required for optimizing the different conditions affecting its production. They were applied to optimize the conditions for enterocin production using the least number of experiments and the least number of required materials.

Materials and methods: Seven factors i.e., pH, temperature, time of incubation, aeration rate, inoculum size, carbohydrate concentration, and bile salt concentrations, each at three levels were selected and an orthogonal array layout of L27³ was performed.

Results: The experimental results indicated that the best incubation conditions were; 48 hours incubation on a nutrient medium at pH 6.5, temperature at 25 °C, aeration rate at 0 round per minute, inoculum size 20 mL, and bile salt concentration. It was 5%, and the carbon concentration was 2.0%. All these factors combined led to the best enterocin production by E. faecium.

Conclusion: This optimization of enterocin production by the Taguchi experimental models emphasized some important results regarding the interaction of the different driving factors leading to the best enterocin production in one experiment.