Abstract
We recently identified Leuconostoc gelidum, a typical psychrophile, as a microbial component from kimchi that has been laboratory-prepared and fermented at 20$^{\circ}C$ . However, it has been shown that the growth of leuconostocs in food products is highly influenced by fermenting temperature. To determine the distribution of L. gelidum species in kimchi fermented at a lower temperature , 8$^{\circ}C$, we characterized a total of 64 dextran-forming strains isolated from kimchi using a polyphsic method including 16S rDNA sequencing and DNA-DNA gybridization. We found that 80% of the isolated were L. gelidum, which has been found mainly at chill-stored meat products. We also found that L. gelidum could be a dominant Leuconostoc species in so-called KimJang Kimchi, which is traditionally prepared at lat fall to be preserved during winter in Korea. These results suggest that L. gelidum can be a predominant species in kimchi especially when fermented at low temperature.
