Susceptibility of bifidobacteria to nisin

A collection of 17 bifidobacteria was tested for sensitivity or resistance to lantibiotic nisin. Minimal inhibitory concentration of the strain tested was highly variable, ranging from 4·88 to 10 000 IU ml⁻¹. In general, strains isolated from faecal samples were more resistant than those purchased from culture collections. These results could be useful in the production of foods containing both bifidobacteria and nisin.