Is polylysine safe?

Overview of Polylysine

Polylysine is a peptide with antibacterial properties. It is a natural biological metabolic product with excellent bactericidal ability and thermal stability. It has excellent anti-corrosion properties and can be used as a biological preservative.
Polylysine is a light yellow powder with strong hygroscopicity and a slight bitterness. It is a linear polymer of lysine. It is not affected by pH value, is thermally stable (120 ° C, 20min), and can inhibit heat-resistant bacteria, so it can be heat-treated after addition. However, when encountering acidic polysaccharides, hydrochloric acid salts, phosphates, copper ions, etc., their activity may decrease due to binding. Combined with hydrochloric acid, citric acid, malic acid, glycine, and fatty glycerides, it has a synergistic effect. ε - polylysine with a molecular weight between 3600-4300 has the best antibacterial activity. When the molecular weight is below 1300, ε - polylysine loses its antibacterial activity. Due to the fact that polylysine is a mixture, it does not have a fixed melting point and begins to soften and decompose above 250 ° C. ε - Polylysine is soluble in water and slightly soluble in ethanol. Infrared spectroscopy analysis of its characterization showed strong absorption peaks at 1680-1640cm-1 and 1580-1520cm-1.

Definition and Classification of Polylysine

Polylysine is a special type of amide polymer, mainly existing in two forms: ε - polylysine and α - polylysine.

Characteristics of ε - Polylysine

（1） Structural characteristics
ε - Polylysine is a monomeric polymer containing 25-35 L-lysine residues produced by fermentation of Streptomyces albulus. It is a direct chain polymer of lysine, with the chemical formula (C ₆ H ₁ N ₂ O ₂) n.

（2） Functional characteristics
Antibacterial activity: It has a significant inhibitory effect on Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria, yeast, mold, viruses, etc., and can be used for the preservation of food and daily chemical products. In Japan, it has been approved as a preservative added to food and widely used for the preservation and preservation of instant rice, wet cooked noodles, cooked vegetables, seafood, sauces, soy sauce, fish fillets, and biscuits. When used in combination with other natural antibacterial agents, it has a significant synergistic effect and can improve its antibacterial ability.
Thermal stability: It does not decompose in high temperature environments (maintained at 120 ° C for 60 minutes) and can inhibit heat-resistant bacteria. Therefore, it can be heat-treated after addition and processed together with raw materials for production.
Water solubility: easily soluble in water, colorless and odorless, does not affect the flavor of food.
Widely applicable pH range: Under pH 2-9 conditions, it has a broad-spectrum bactericidal effect, compensating for the low activity of other preservatives under neutral and alkaline conditions.
Synergistic effect: As a new type of food fungicide, in addition to being used alone, it can also be mixed with other food additives such as vinegar, ethanol, vitamins, glycine, organic acids, etc., and the mixed use can greatly improve the bactericidal ability of ε - PL.
High safety: After consumption, polylysine will not accumulate in the human body and will be broken down into essential lysine, known as "medicine and nutritional preservatives". It also has health benefits, can inhibit enzyme activity and fat absorption, and reduce obesity.
Cationic properties: Rich in cations, it has strong electrostatic forces with substances containing anions and good penetration ability into biological membranes. Based on this property, polylysine can be used as a carrier for certain drugs and has been widely used in medical and pharmaceutical fields, such as polymerization with methotrexate (a drug used to treat leukemia and tumors), which can improve the efficacy of drugs.

The wide application of polylysine in various fields

1、 Application of Polylysine in Food
Preservation and anti-corrosion aspects
Extending the shelf life of milk: Mixing polylysine and glycine can extend the shelf life of milk because polylysine has antibacterial properties that can inhibit the growth of microorganisms in milk, thereby prolonging its shelf life.
Improve the shelf life of convenience foods: Increase the shelf life of convenience rice and fast food. For example, adding polylysine to these foods can inhibit the growth and reproduction of microorganisms, reduce the possibility of food spoilage, maintain the quality and taste of the food, and extend the shelf life.
Used for the production of food preservatives: Polylysine is mixed with garlic as the main raw material to make food preservatives. This composite preservative utilizes the antibacterial properties of polylysine and the potential antibacterial components of garlic to inhibit microbial growth, ensuring food safety and extending shelf life.
other aspects
The dosage and effect in specific foods: Polylysine hydrochloride added to soda water at a dosage of 40-80 (unit not specified) can significantly inhibit microorganisms and has no effect on the taste of soda water beverages. Adding 30mg/kg of polylysine to sliced beef and ham can effectively inhibit the growth and reproduction of lactobacilli and bacteria under storage conditions of 0-8 ° C or room temperature, achieving good preservation effect. It can also inhibit microbial growth and maintain the stability of hardness and soluble solids.
2、 Application of Polylysine in Medicine
As a drug carrier
Combination with anticancer drugs: Polylysine can be combined with the anti folate agent methotrexate or other anticancer drugs to alleviate drug resistance. For example, the polymerization of polylysine and methotrexate (a drug used to treat leukemia and tumors) can improve the efficacy of the drug. Because polylysine is rich in cations, it has strong electrostatic forces with anionic substances and good penetration into biological membranes. Therefore, it can be used as a carrier for drugs, changing the distribution and release process of drugs in the body and enhancing the therapeutic effect of drugs.
Potential in gene delivery: Polylysine functionalization enhances transfection into cancer cells and has great potential as a gene delivery vector. Gene therapy mainly involves delivering genetic molecules to the nucleus of host cells to induce gene expression. Polylysine can deliver plasmid DNA into cells, which helps achieve the goal of gene therapy.
Application in Stimulus Response Targeted Drug Delivery Systems: Current research has found that polylysine and its derivatives can respond to corresponding stimuli (pH, temperature, enzymes, redox reactions), which can contribute to the development of stimulus response targeted drug delivery systems. Related reports have confirmed that functionalized products of polylysine can have higher loading efficiency, effectively target drug molecules to desired positions, and enhance drug efficacy.
3、 Application of Polylysine in Personal Care
Application in cosmetics
Inhibiting microbial growth ensures product quality: Cosmetics are highly susceptible to microbial contamination during production, storage, and use, leading to spoilage. Polylysine, due to its broad-spectrum antibacterial properties, can effectively inhibit the growth of various microorganisms and ensure product quality. And polylysine is a polymer of various amino acids, which is a nutritional preservative, environmentally friendly, safe and efficient.
Application in daily chemical products
Application in various daily chemical products: Polylysine is also widely used in toothpaste, mouthwash, soap, hand sanitizer, wet wipes, kitchen cleaning, women's sanitary napkins, diapers and other daily chemical products. Among these products, polylysine, with its antibacterial properties, inhibits microbial growth, maintains product cleanliness and hygiene, and extends product lifespan.

Is polylysine safe?

Security
Polylysine is safe.
Polylysine is a peptide produced by fermentation of Streptococcus pyogenes, which has antibacterial effects. It is a natural, safe, and healthy antibacterial food preservative. After consumption, ε - polylysine does not accumulate in the body and can be partially degraded into the essential amino acid L-lysine. Therefore, ε - polylysine is non-toxic.

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