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Health benefits of lactic acid bacteria isolated from kimchi, with respect to immunomodulatory effects

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Abstract

Kimchi is a traditional Korean fermented vegetable product, which is fermented by various lactic acid bacteria (LAB), including the genera Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, and Weissella. While the immunomodulatory effects of LAB isolated from dairy products are relatively well established, little is known about whether kimchi LAB are capable of modulating a variety of host immune responses. Recent studies have shown that several kimchi LAB that show probiotic properties regulate the balance of T-helper cell response by inducing macrophage activation and enhance the differentiation and activation of regulatory T cells, resulting in the alleviation of allergies and atopic dermatitis in animal models. In this review, current knowledge will be discussed about the beneficial effects of kimchi LAB, including the effects of different strains on immunological functions, and the potential use of kimchi LAB strains as immunomodulators in various immunological settings for therapeutic purposes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Metabolism and Functionality Research Group, World Institute of Kimchi, Gwangju, 503-360, Korea

    Hak-Jong Choi

  2. Department of Food Science and Biotechnology of Animal Resources and Bio/Molecular Informatics Center, Konkuk University, Seoul, 143-701, Korea

    Na-Kyoung Lee & Hyun-Dong Paik

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  1. Hak-Jong Choi
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  2. Na-Kyoung Lee
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  3. Hyun-Dong Paik
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Correspondence to Hyun-Dong Paik.

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Choi, HJ., Lee, NK. & Paik, HD. Health benefits of lactic acid bacteria isolated from kimchi, with respect to immunomodulatory effects. Food Sci Biotechnol 24, 783–789 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-015-0102-3

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