• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.339-349
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• 2015

The objective of this study was to identify lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from kimchi and to evaluate its characteristics and functional properties for application in fermented dairy products as a probiotic or commercial starter culture. Eight stains isolated from kimchi were selected through an investigation of phenotypic characteristics. Two strains (DK211 and DK303) were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum, another two (DK207 and DK215) as Lactobacillus paracasei, and one (DK301) as Lactobacillus sakei. The remaining three strains were identified as species of Weissella. All selected Lactobacillus strains had acid and bile tolerance, even though there was wide variation in the ability of each strain. DK303 showed a remarkably higher proteolytic activity. There were no significant differences in β-galactosidase activity among the tested strains, except that DK301 showed no activity. Auto-aggregation varied between 82.1 and 90.0%, and hydrophobicity values ranged from 0.5 to 51.6%.The strongest auto-aggregation and hydrophobicity were observed in DK211. All selected strains showed better 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrzyl (DPPH) scavenging activity than commercial strains. DK211, DK215, DK301, and DK303 had effective inhibitory activity against all pathogens tested except E. coli. When selected strains were used for yogurt preparation as a single starter culture, the time required to reach target titratable acidity (0.9) was 11-12 h. The yogurt fermented with DK211 had favorable panelists ratings for most sensory attributes, which were comparable with yogurt fermented with a commercial strain. The results suggest that strains isolated from kimchi could be potential probiotic and starter cultures for use in yogurt manufacturing.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.620-631
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• 2015

A total of 59 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains were isolated from corn stover silage. According to phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences and recA gene polymerase chain reaction amplification, these LAB isolates were identified as five species: Lactobacillus (L.) plantarum subsp. plantarum, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Enterococcus mundtii, Weissella cibaria and Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides, respectively. Those strains were also screened for antimicrobial activity using a dual-culture agar plate assay. Based on excluding the effects of organic acids and hydrogen peroxide, two L. plantarum subsp. plantarum strains ZZU 203 and 204, which strongly inhibited Salmonella enterica ATCC $43971^T$, Micrococcus luteus ATCC $4698^T$ and Escherichia coli ATCC $11775^T$ were selected for further research on sensitivity of the antimicrobial substance to heat, pH and protease. Cell-free culture supernatants of the two strains exhibited strong heat stability (60 min at $100^{\circ}C$), but the antimicrobial activity was eliminated after treatment at $121^{\circ}C$ for 15 min. The antimicrobial substance remained active under acidic condition (pH 2.0 to 6.0), but became inactive under neutral and alkaline condition (pH 7.0 to 9.0). In addition, the antimicrobial activities of these two strains decreased remarkably after digestion by protease K. These results preliminarily suggest that the desirable antimicrobial activity of strains ZZU 203 and 204 is the result of the production of a bacteriocin-like substance, and these two strains with antimicrobial activity could be used as silage additives to inhibit proliferation of unwanted microorganism during ensiling and preserve nutrients of silage. The nature of the antimicrobial substances is being investigated in our laboratory.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.753-762
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• 2020

Objectives: This study was aimed at evaluating the effects of changes in the oral environment of the elderly in long-term care facilities after the intake of Weissella cibaria. Methods: The test group ingested the W. cibaria strain Chonnam Medical University (CMU), and the control group ingested the control food. Of all randomized trial subjects, 62 were analyzed (32 in the experimental group and 30 in the control group). In this 8-week demographic study, we evaluated self-perceived halitosis, changes in halitosis, sensory test results, tongue plaque index scores, saliva buffering capacity, and the salivary flow rate. Results: The W. cibaria CMU intake in the elderly in long-term care facilities during the experimental period did not demonstrate statistically significant changes in the salivary flow rate. However, self-perceived halitosis, organoleptic test results, tongue plaque index scores, and salivary buffering capacity demonstrated statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups. These findings partially confirmed the beneficial effects of the W. cibaria CMU on the oral environment in the elderly. Conclusions: Research results on the role of probiotics in the oral cavity should be summarized, and utilization plans should be sought to obtain a clearer understanding of the clinical efficacy and related factors. The value of probiotic use may be high in improving the oral health of people by enabling treatment and prevention.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.60 no.4
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• pp.391-402
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• 2017

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are widely used as starter culture in food fermentation due to their harmless entity and health beneficial properties along with the ability to change texture, aroma, flavor and acidity of food products. In this study, five different LAB (FB003, FB058, FB077, FB081, and FB111) isolated from different Korean traditional fermented foods, assigned to Lactobacillus plantarum, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Weissella viridescens, Lactobacillus sakei, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides, respectively, on the basis of their physiological properties and 16S rRNA sequence analysis, to use as fermentation starter and check their ability to fasten the ripening time as well as the overall optimization in the fermentation condition. To check their suitability as starters, their safety, acid and bile tolerance, NaCl and temperature resistance, susceptibility to common antibiotics, and antimicrobial activities were determined. Squid jeotgal samples were prepared by adding $10^8CFU/g$ of each strain in different samples, which were then kept for fermentation at $4^{\circ}C$ and checked for their antioxidant activities at 0, 7, 15, and 21-day intervals. The samples fermented with FB003 and FB077 displayed the highest antioxidant activity. This study revealed two effective starter cultures (FB003, FB077) for squid jeotgal fermentation, which presented increased functionalities. The results of this study will lead to the development of novel industrial-scale production avenues for jeotgal preparation, and offer new insights into the prevention and control of chronic diseases.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.1697-1705
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• 2020

Meju, a type of fermented soybean paste, is used as a starter in the preparation of various Korean traditional soybean-based foods. In this study, we performed Illumina-MiSeq paired-end sequencing for microbial communities and mass spectrometry analysis for metabolite profiling to investigate the differences between 11 traditional meju products from different regions across Korea. Even though the bacterial and fungal communities showed remarkable variety, major genera including Bacillus, Enterococcus, Variovorax, Pediococcus, Weissella, and Aspergillus were detected in every sample of meju. The metabolite profile patterns of the 11 samples were clustered into two main groups: group I (M1-5) and group II (M6-11). The metabolite analysis indicated a relatively higher amino acid content in group I, while group II exhibited higher isoflavone, soyasaponin, and lysophospholipid contents. The bioactivity analysis proved that the ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) radical-scavenging activity was higher in group II and the FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) activity was higher in group I. The correlation analysis revealed that the ABTS activity was isoflavonoid, lipid, and soyasaponin related, whereas the FRAP activity was amino acid and flavonoid related. These results suggest that the antioxidant activities of meju are critically influenced by the microbiome and metabolite dynamics.

• 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.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.1057-1062
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• 2016

Kimchi is a traditional Korean fermented vegetable food, the production of which involves brining of Korean cabbage, blending with various other ingredients (red pepper powder, garlic, ginger, salt-pickled seafood, etc.), and fermentation. Recently, kimchi has also become popular in the Western world because of its unique taste and beneficial properties such as antioxidant and antimutagenic activities, which are derived from the various raw materials and secondary metabolites of the fermentative microorganisms used during production. Despite these useful activities, analysis of the microbial community present in kimchi has received relatively little attention. The objective of this study was to evaluate the bacterial community structure from the raw materials, additives, and final kimchi product using the culture-independent method. Specifically, polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) was used to analyze the 16S rRNA partial sequences of the microflora. One primer set for bacteria, 341F^GC-518R, reliably produced amplicons from kimchi and its raw materials, and these bands were clearly separated on a 35-65% denaturing gradient gel. Overall, 117 16S rRNA fragments were identified by PCR-DGGE analysis. Pediococcus pentosaceus, Leuconostoc citreum, Leuconostoc gelidum, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides were the dominant bacteria in kimchi. The other strains identified were Tetragenococcus, Pseudomonas, Weissella, and uncultured bacterium. Comprehensive analysis of these microorganisms could provide a more detailed understanding of the biologically active components of kimchi and help improve its quality. PCR-DGGE analysis can be successfully applied to a fermented food to detect unculturable or other species.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.76-84
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• 2013

A polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) technique followed by sequencing of the 16S rDNA fragments eluted from the bands of interest on denaturing gradient gels was used to monitor changes in the bacterial microflora of two commercial kimchi, salted cabbage, and ingredient mix samples during 30 days of fermentation at $4^{\circ}C$ and $10^{\circ}C$. Leuconostoc (Lc.) was the dominant lactic acid bacteria (LAB) over Lactobacillus (Lb.) species at $4^{\circ}C$. Weissella confusa was detected in the ingredient mix and also in kimchi samples throughout fermentation in both samples at $4^{\circ}C$ and $10^{\circ}C$. Lc. gelidum was detected as the dominant LAB at $4^{\circ}C$ in both samples. The temperature affected the LAB profile of kimchi by varing the pH, which was primarily caused by the temperature-dependent competition among different LAB species in kimchi. At $4^{\circ}C$, the sample variations in pH and titratable acidity were more conspicuous owing to the delayed growth of LAB. Temperature affected only initial decreases in pH and initial increases in viable cell counts, but affected both the initial increases and final values of titratable acidity. The initial microflora in the kimchi sample was probably determined by the microflora of the ingredient mix, not by that of the salted cabbage. The microbial distributions in the samples used in this study resembled across the different kimchi samples and the different fermentation temperatures as the numbers of LAB increased and titratable acidity decreased.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.655-659
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• 2014

Food-grade protective agents, namely, skim milk, yeast extract, soy powder, and trehalose, were studied for their ability to improve the viability of freeze-dried lactic acid bacteria (LAB), including Weissella cibaria SW1-1, Lactobacillus plantarum A-1, Lactobacillus sakei 2-12 24, and Leuconostoc citreum 3526. The best results were obtained with 10% soy powder; approximately 90% cell viability was observed during the freeze-drying process. Increase in the concentration of soy powder did not cause a proportional increase in the survival rate of LAB. Further, no significant difference was observed when two agents were combined in a 1:1 ratio (p<0.05).

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.192-200
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• 2021

Kunun-zaki, produced by submerged fermentation of a combination of millet and sorghum, is a popular beverage in Northern Nigeria. Owing to the nature of the process involved in its production, kunun-zaki is highly susceptible to contamination by food spoilage microorganisms, leading to inconsistent quality and short shelf-life. In this study, we investigated various food spices, including cinnamon, garlic, and nutmeg, as potential preservatives that could be used to extend kunun-zaki shelf-life. Kunun-zaki varieties were fermented with each of these spices mentioned above and subjected to bacterial, nutritional, sensory, and quality maintenance assessments (using a twelve-member sensory panel to evaluate the organoleptic properties of kunun-zaki). Bacterial counts in the final products ranged between 10^5-7 CFU/ml. We identified two bacterial genera, Weissella and Enterococcus, based on partial 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Three amino acids, namely leucine, aspartate, and glutamate, were abundant in all kunun-zaki varieties, while the total essential amino acid content was above 39%, suggesting that kunun-zaki could potentially be considered as a protein-rich food source both for infants and adults. The kunun-zaki products were also rich in carbohydrates, crude proteins, ash, crude fiber, and fat, with contents estimated as 81-84, 8-11, 0.8-4.0, 2.9-3.58, and 5.1-6.3%, respectively. However, this nutritional content depreciated rapidly after 24 h of storage, except for kunun-zaki fermented with garlic, which its crude protein and fat content was maintained for up to 48 h. Our results revealed that organic spices increased the nutritional content of the kunun-zaki varieties and could be potentially be used as natural preservatives for enhancing the kunun-zaki shelf-life. However, garlic might be considered a better alternative based on our preliminary investigation. The presence of the isolated microorganisms in the analyzed kunun-zaki samples should be highlighted to raise awareness on the possible health hazards that could arise from poor handling and processing techniques.