Microbiota Kimchi Vegetables

Fermentation is an ancient preservation method applied for fruits and vegetables. Most of the fermented foods and beverages are from household production for daily domestic consumption. In general, vegetables are dry salted or brined for fermentation process, which facilitate the production of flavor, control of undesirable microorganisms, extract nutrients and water and constitute soft tissue (Liu et al. 2011). The combination of salt with organic acids and biologically active compounds produced during fermentation period results in unique characteristics of the products and safety. Fresh fruits and vegetables naturally include a variety of microorganisms, mainly dominated by yeast and fungi. Although LAB are a small part of the microbiota

2011). Although the main ingredients are cabbage and radish, the receipt may also include variety of vegetables such as carrot, mustard, green onion, parsley, ginger, red pepper garlic and fermented seafood (jeotgal) (Jung et al. 2011). Shredded cabbages are placed into a salt solution (5-7% for 12 h) and rinsed with water several times and drained. Then other ingredients is mixed with cabbage. Although ingredients and production methods are different, its fermentation is microbiologically similar to sauerkraut fermentation. Varieties of microorganisms have been identified during kimchi fermentation, mainly Leuconostoc spp. and Lactobacillus spp. (Table 5). In the first stage of the fermentation, Leuconostoc spp. constitute the dominant flora. In the later period, Leuconostoc spp. are inhibited by increasing lactic acid concentration and it is replaced by more acid-tolerant LAB, such as Lb. plantarum (Di Cagno et al. 2013). When the acidity reach to 0.5-0.6 %, optimum taste is obtained and the fermentation is stooped by refrigeration. Kimchi has a unique characteristic taste and usually served with cooked rice and soup (Rhee et al. 2011). As an alternative, it could be powdered to use in meat products as antimicrobial agent as well as flavoring (Kim et al. 2015). Lb. plantarum isolated from kimchi can show antibacterial and invasion protective activity, and modulate host immune response to promote a healthy gastrointestinal tract (Khan and Kang 2016). Moreover, several strains of bacteriocin