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

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology volume 98, pages 2385–2393 (2014)Cite this article

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.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Technology Development Program for Agriculture and Forestry (TDPAF) of the Ministry for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Republic of Korea.

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  1. Department of Life Science, Chung-Ang University, 84, HeukSeok-Ro, Dongjak-Gu, Seoul, 156-756, Republic of Korea

    Ji Young Jung, Se Hee Lee & Che Ok Jeon

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  1. Ji Young Jung
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Correspondence to Che Ok Jeon.

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Jung, J.Y., Lee, S.H. & Jeon, C.O. Kimchi microflora: history, current status, and perspectives for industrial kimchi production. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 98, 2385–2393 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-014-5513-1

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Keywords

  • Kimchi
  • Fermentation
  • Microflora
  • Heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria
  • Genomics
  • Industrial kimchi production
  • Starter culture