Kimchi microflora: history, current status, and perspectives for industrial kimchi production

Abstract

Kimchi, a traditional Korean food made by the fermentation of vegetables, has become popular globally because of its organoleptic, beneficial, and nutritional properties. Spontaneous kimchi fermentation in unsterilized raw materials leads to the growth of various lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which results in variations in the taste and sensory qualities of kimchi products and difficulties in the standardized industrial production of kimchi. Raw materials, kimchi varieties, ingredients, and fermentation conditions have significant effects on the microbial communities and fermentative characteristics of kimchi during fermentation. Heterofermentative LAB belonging to the genera Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, and Weissella are likely to be key players in kimchi fermentation and have been subjected to genomic and functional studies to gain a better understanding of the fermentation process and beneficial effects of kimchi. The use of starter cultures has been considered for the industrial production of high quality, standardized kimchi. Here, we review the composition and biochemistry of kimchi microflora communities, functional and genomic studies of kimchi LAB, and perspectives for industrial kimchi production.

The Aroma Composition of Baby Ginger Paocai

“…In baby ginger paocai, geranyl acetate (31, 28.14%) was the only compound with an absolute content exceeding 100 mg/kg, while -bisabolene (49, 10.64%), trans-citral (22,8.45%), geraniol (21, 8.19%), curcumene (44, 6.3%), and cis-citral (20, 4.87%) were also among the main volatile components. The relatively high content of esters accounts for the odor of the baby ginger paocai, which was consistent with the result of Xu et al [17] and Liu et al [18].…”

“…As mentioned earlier by scholars, kimchi fermentation process is achieved by bacteria, yeasts, fungi, and other microorganisms; lactic acid bacteria are the most important microorganisms which affect the sensory quality of pickled vegetables. The formation of flavor is a complicated process that occurs during homolactic and heterolactic fermentation by lactic acid bacteria [22]. Some of the metabolites in the microbial fermentation process react with certain ingredients in the vegetables to produce new substances, so that the flavor composition of vegetables could be improved [19].…”

Anti-Obesity Effects of Starter Fermented Kimchi on 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

“…The use of a kimchi starter has been shown to affect metabolite production and kimchi LAB communities during fermentation (12). In another study, LAB starters were not only found to affect the microbial environment during fermentation but to become the dominant species in finished kimchi (12,13). In the present study, FKS was found to contain more LABs than NK or FK (FKS: 4.8×10 8 CFU/g, NK: 3.9×10 7 CFU/g, FK: 3.3×10 7 CFU /g after 3 weeks fermentation at 5 o C), which showed that the starter kimchi contained more LAB.…”

“…Starter kimchis inoculated initially with Leu. mesenteroides have better kimchi qualities, microflora, and greater health benefits than nonstarter kimchis (13). Leu.…”

Production of Buttery-Odor Compounds and Transcriptome Response in Leuconostoc gelidum subsp. gasicomitatum LMG18811 T during Growth on Various Carbon Sources

“…gasicomitatum has been associated with the spoilage of cold-stored, modified-atmosphere-packaged (MAP), nutrient-rich foods (2,3,4,5). It has also been reported as an important species in the fermentation of kimchi, a traditional Korean food made by fermenting vegetables at refrigerator temperatures (6). The first scientific publications on L. gelidum subsp.…”