Abstract:Bacteriocins derived from lactic acid bacteria are proteins or polypeptides with antibacterial activity produced during their metabolic processes， which can effectively impede the growth of a multitude of pathogenic microorganisms. In tandem with the ever-increasing consumer demands for green， healthy， and safe food， the developmental value of bio-based preservation technologies has been progressively augmenting. Lactic acid bacteria and their metabolites have attracted widespread attention on account of their natural， safe，and biodegradable properties. A comprehensive review of bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria was conducted regarding the classification， modes of action， synthesis mechanisms， purification techniques， and applications in food preservation. The antibacterial mechanisms of class I， class II， and class Ⅲ bacteriocins were summarized. With nisin as an illustrative example， the synthesis and regulation mechanisms of bacteriocins were systematically explicated. Additionally， the future research directions on lactic acid bacteria and bacteriocins were outlined. The findings were expected to furnish a scientific basis for the development and application of lactic acid bacteria in the fields of food， medicine， agriculture， and so on.