Snow flea antifreeze peptide for cryopreservation of lactic acid bacteria

Cryogenic machining is one of the most commonly used techniques for processing and preserving in food industry, and traditional antifreeze agents cannot regulate the mechanical stress damage caused by ice crystals formed during recrystallization or thawing. In this study, we successfully developed an express system of a novel recombinant snow flea antifreeze peptide (rsfAFP), which has significant ice recrystallization inhibition ability, thermal hysteresis activity and alters ice nucleation, thus regulating extracellular ice crystal morphology and recrystallization. We showed that rsfAFP improved the survival rate, acid-producing ability, freezing stability, and cellular metabolism activity of Streptococcus thermophilus. We further showed that rsfAFP interacts with the membrane and ice crystals to cover the outer layer of cells, forming a dense protective layer that maintains the physiological functions of S. thermophilus under freezing stress. These findings provide the scientific basis for using rsfAFP as an effective antifreeze agent for lactic acid bacteria cryopreservation or other frozen food.