The new bacteriocin, termed enterocin M, produced by Enterococcus faecium AL 41 showed a wide spectrum of inhibitory activity against the indicator organisms from diVerent sources. It was puriWed by (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 precipitation, cation-exchange chromatography and reverse phase chromatography (FPLC). The puriWed peptide was sequenced by N-terminal amino acid Edman degradation and a mass spectrometry analysis was performed. By combining the data obtained from amino acid sequence (39 Nterminal amino acid residues was determined) and the molecular weight (determined to be 4 628 Da) it was concluded that the puriWed enterocin M is a new bacteriocin, which is very similar to enterocin P. However, its molecular weight is diVerent from enterocin P (4 701.25). Of the Wrst 39 N-terminal residues of enterocin M, valine was found in position 20 and a lysine in position 35, while enterocin P has tryptophane residues in these positions.