• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.883-889
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• 2016

A new lactic acid bacteria with gluten-degrading activity which was isolated from salted sea foods (traditional Korea fermented food), identified as Weissella confusa (99%) by use of API kit and 16S rRNA sequencing, and designated as W. confusa. When the W. confusa cultured for 48 hours at $30^{\circ}C$ in a MRS medium containing 1% gluten, 45% of gluten was founded to be degraded. W. confusa showed 85% of survival rate at pH 3, and 94% tolerance at 0.1% oxgall, which indicates that W. confusa would survive in stomach of human. Experiments on the thermostability was confirmed that it has a stability of 70% in $50^{\circ}C$. W. confusa inhibited the growth of some pathogen, except for S. aureus. Results in this study suggest that using W. confusa for fermentation of grain flour containing gluten would be desirable to prepare the gluten-free foods needed for those who suffer from celia disease and gluten allergy.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.680-685
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• 2004

The capability of lactic acid bacteria (LABs) to adhere to intestinal epithelial cells and vaginal epithelial cells is an important factor in the formation of a barrier to prevent the colonization of pathogenic bacteria. In addition, the ability to coaggregate with pathogens and production of antimicrobial agents also allow LABs to fight against pathogens. In this work, Weissella confusa PL9001 was tested for its ability to inhibit the growth and adherence of genitourinary pathogens, including Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE), isolated from the urine of hospitalized female patients. W. confusa PL9001 was found to coaggregate with the four pathogens, as observed with a light microscope and scanning electron microscope. In competition, exclusion, and displacement tests, the adherence of the pathogens to T24 bladder epithelial cells was also inhibited by W. confusa PL9001. Accordingly, these results suggest that W. confusa PL9001 is potentially useful for both preventive and therapeutic treatment of genitourinary infections.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.103-108
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• 2015

Weissella spp. from traditional Korean foods of Kimchi were isolated and characterized against food-borne pathogenic Listeria monocytogens. The isolates were identified as W. cibaria 0D17 and W. confusa 0D23 from Kimchi by the biochemical characteristics and 16S DNA sequencing. The culture solutions of the isolates adjusted to pH 7.0 showed L. monocytogens inhibition. To analyze the quantitative detection of L. monocytogenes, real-time PCR was performed according to the SYBR Green I method. The isolates grew well and L. monocytogens did not grow during the co-culture with those strains at $37^{\circ}C$. Therefore, W. cibaria 0D17 and W. confusa 0D23 might be the candidates as the functional lactic acid bacteria for improving food safety.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.743-747
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• 2003

Tests show that the growth of lactic bacteria in kimchi varies according to the type and concentration of salt used. Weissella confusa, the early stage bacteria in kimchi fermentation, increased sharply after 5 hr of induction with 3% light salt and refined salt. However, the induction period lengthened to 12 hr with 3% sea salt and bamboo salt. Lactobacillus delbrueckii ss lactis and L. pentosus which grow in the middle stage of fermentation, and L. hamsteri, which grows at the end stage of fermentation, were found after 12 hr of induction with 3% salt of all kinds. When 5% light salt was added to the culture medium, the induction period of bacteria other than W. confusa lengthens to 12 hr. The trend is similar for sea salt, bamboo salt, and refined salt, with a higher NaCl concentration resulting in less growth. W. confusa showed salt tolerance, but L. hamsteri was affected by the type and concentration of salt. With 5% sea salt, bamboo salt, and refined salt, the growth of bacteria was inhibited by up to 24 hr.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.135-146
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• 2022

Obesity is closely associated with profound dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and fatty liver disease. Recent reports have suggested that alterations in gut microbiota can be linked to diet-induced obesity. In this study, the anti-obesity effects of Weissella confusa WIKIM51 isolated from kimchi were investigated, as evidenced by: i) reduced lipid accumulation and downregulated adipogenesis-related genes in 3T3-L1 adipocytes; ii) suppressed gains in body weight and epididymal fat mass; iii) reduced serum lipid levels, for example, triglyceride and total cholesterol; iv) increased serum adiponectin levels and reduced serum leptin levels; v) downregulated lipogenesis and upregulated β-oxidation-related genes in the epididymal fat; and vi) altered microbial communities. The collective evidence indicate the potential value of W. confusa WIKIM51 as a functional food supplement for the prevention and amelioration of obesity.

• ALGAE
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.267-281
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• 2006

We report six species of the genus Scinaia (Galaxauraceae, Nemaliales) from Jeju Island, Korea. Five of the species, S. cottonii Setchell, S. tokidae Kajimura, S. okiensis Kajimura, S. flabellata Kajimura, and S. confusa (Setchell) Huisman, are newly recorded in the Korean flora. Scinaia okamurae (Setchell) Huisman was previously recorded. Scinaia japonica Setchell, which is known from Korean waters, was not found. We examined thallus habits, vegetative morphology, and reproductive structures in all six species. We also appraise several morphological characters for their value in separating Scinaia species.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.70-76
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• 2011

PCR-based Weissella species-specific detection method was developed to apply for the discrimination of Korean and Chinese kimchi by detecting a Weissella species only found in Korean or Chinese kimchi. PCR primers were designed from the species-specific sequence in the recN gene of each species. The primers allowed the species-specific detection and identification of nine species in the genera Weissella, and were successfully applied to the detection of W. cibaria, W. confusa, W. koreensis, and W. soli in kimchi with 20 ng template DNA. W. cibaria, W. confusa, and W. koreensis were detected from the Korean kimchi samples tested but W. soli was not detected. However, the four species were detected from Chinese kimchi samples. PCR-based W. soli-specific detection could not be perfectly applied as the Chinese kimchi discriminating method but has significance as an approach to evaluate the potential of scientific verification method based on the difference of microbial community.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.60-66
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• 2005

This study was performed to know whether there is any change of physiological activity in DLMJ which is inoculated by lactic acid bacteria. Lactic acid bacteria were isolated from Dolsan leaf mustard Kimchi (DLMK) at $20^{\circ}C$. In the optimum ripening period, the population of Leuconostoc and Lactobacilli in the DLMK were found to be high. The Leuconostoc, Lactobacilli and Lactococci strains were identified as Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Leuconostoc gelidum, Weissella confusa, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus raffinolactis, Lactococcus lactis and Weissella confusa using the Biolog system. The most predominant strain which was isolated from DLMK was Weissella confusa. As the results of the phylogenetic analysis using 16s rDNA sequence, the Weissella confusa turned out to be Weissella kimchii, with 99.0% similarity. To investigated the change of physiological activity in DLMJ by lactic acid bacteria, 7 predominant strains inoculated to DLMJ (Dolsan Leaf Mustard Juice). The cytotoxicity was found to be under $19.55\%$ all cases. Also, the antioxidative activity of the DLMJ treated with lactic acid bacteria was very low, which might have been due to the reduced antioxidative phytochemicals during the preparation of the sterile sample. The ACE inhibiting activity of DLMJ by inoculation with Weissella kimchii was shown to be the highest ($94.0\%$). This could be that the degradation of sulfur containing materials in DLMJ by Weissella kimchii gave rise to ACE inhibiting activity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.1448-1456
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• 2023

A Gram-positive, non-motile, and non-spore-forming lactic acid bacterium, designated as BK2^T, was isolated from kimchi, a Korean traditional fermented vegetable food, and the taxonomic characteristics of strain BK2^T, along with strain LMG 11983, were analyzed. Both strains optimally grew at 30℃, pH 7.0, and 1.0% NaCl. Cells of both strains were heterofermentative and facultatively anaerobic rods, demonstrating negative reactions for catalase and oxidase. Major fatty acids (>10%) identified in both strains were C_18:1 ω9c, C_16:0, and summed feature 7 (comprising C_19:1 ω6c and/or C_19:1 ω7c). The genomic DNA G+C contents of both strains were 44.7 mol%. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (99.9%), average nucleotide identity (ANI; 99.9%), and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH; 99.7%) value between strains BK2^T and LMG 11983 indicated that they are different strains of the same species. Strain BK2^T was most closely related to Weissella confusa JCM 1093^T and Weissella cibaria LMG 17699^T, with 100% and 99.4% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, respectively. However, based on the ANI and dDDH values (92.3% and 48.1% with W. confusa, and 78.4% and 23.5% with W. cibaria), it was evident that strain BK2^T represents a distinct species separate from W. confusa and W. cibaria. Based on phylogenetic, phenotypic, and chemotaxonomic features, strains BK2^T and LMG 11983 represent a novel species of the genus Weissella, for which the name Weissella fermenti sp. nov. is proposed. The type of strain is BK2^T (=KACC 22833^T=JCM 35750^T).

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.12 no.4 s.31
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• pp.259-268
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• 2006

It has been recognized that high level of serum cholesterol is a risk factor associated with atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Ingestion of probiotic lactic acid bacteria(LAB) in Kimchi would possibly be a method to decrease serum cholesterol in humans, as it was reported. In vitro culture experiment evaluated the effects of LAB(Leu. citreum, Lac. plantarum, Leu. mesenteroides, Weissella kimchii, W. confusa) extracted from Kimchi on cholesterol reduction in the MRS broth containing soluble cholesterol. Experimental strain of Leu. citreum and Leu. mesenteroides dominated in the first phase of Kimchi fermentation reduced the level of cholesterol 55.64% and 56.37%, respectively. Also, cholesterol lowering-effect was observed in over 55% of Lac. plantarum, W. kimchii and W. confusa strains, which were dominated in the end phase of fermentation. Our results suggest that selected probiotic LAB from Kimchi have an excellent cholesterol reducing effect in in vitro culture.