Antimicrobial activity of immobilized mycocins in sodium alginate on fecal coliforms

<i>Wickerhamomyces anomalus</i> is a yeast-producing mycocins and has antimicrobial action. <i>Escherichia coli</i> is the predominant bacterium of the coliforms group; its presence in water indicates fecal contamination, being used as an indicator of microbiological analyses. The immobilization of cells and substances demonstrates great potential for biotechnological applications. This work aimed to assess the activity of free and immobilized mycocins, obtained from <i>W. anomalus</i>, against <i>E. coli</i> strains and fecal coliforms. The mycocins were immobilized in different concentrations of sodium alginate and calcium chloride and tested to verify the antimicrobial activity against the <i>E. coli</i> strain and fecal coliforms present in water samples. The mycocins were able to inhibit all strains used in broth microdilution. Considering the problem of multidrug-resistant antibiotic strains and the need for new alternatives to improve the quality of water and sewage effluents, these results demonstrate a possible application as an alternative to an antimicrobial agent.