Genomic and functional insights into Pediococcus pentosaceus B1–3 from Yangzhou pickles and its application in pork preservation

Chemical preservatives are widely applied in food preservation but raise growing concerns over microbial resistance and chemical residue risks. The antimicrobial potential of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) derived from Yangzhou pickles and Daqu remains poorly characterized. In this study, the LAB strain B1–3, identified as Pediococcus pentosaceus , exhibited the strongest activity against Listeria monocytogenes , Staphylococcus aureus , and Salmonella Typhimurium . Phenotypic characterization showed that B1–3 presents homofermentative metabolism, tests negative for hemolytic and coagulase activities, is susceptible to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline and ciprofloxacin, and tolerates 0.3% bile salts. Whole-genome sequencing revealed no detectable plasmids, transferable antibiotic resistance genes, or typical virulence factors, providing preliminary evidence supporting its safety potential for food applications. Treatment with 40% cell-free supernatant of B1–3 effectively suppressed the proliferation of both indigenous spoilage microbiota and artificially inoculated pathogens in pork during 7-day storage at 4 °C, and caused no significant adverse effects on surface color, texture profile and lipid oxidation level. These findings highlight B1–3 as a highly promising candidate for developing natural meat biopreservatives.