• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.461-471
• /
• 1995

The heterofermentative Leuconostoc mesenteroides, which is propagated from the initial to the intermediate stage of Kimchi fermentation, produces organic acids and carbon dioxide to impart refreshment, weak acid taste to Kimchi. But owing to lactic acid production by the homofermentative Lactobacillus Plantarum, Kimchi finally reaches its acidified state. So, Leu. mesenteroides was isolated from Kimchi and identified and was improved by mutation for carbon dioxide production at low pH, and for the high total acceptability. We tested with a wild-type strain K-1 and its improved mutant strain M-10 of Leu. mesenteroides. The wild-type strain K-1 could grow in pH 4.2 at 30$\circ$C or 20$\circ$C, and in pH 5.0 at 10$\circ$C. But the mutant strain M-10 could grow in pH 3.3 at 10$\circ$C. In the respect of total acceptability, mutant strain M-10 inoculated Kimchi was ever better than any others. Mutant M-10 inoculated Kimchi prolonged the optimum ripening period of Kimchi up to two times as compared with the control group.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.550-556
• /
• 1994

For an extension of the palatable stage in Kimchi which was limited by further lowering pH as the fermentation proceeds, the starter culture of bacteriocin-producing Enterococcus faecium DU 0267 obtained from Kimchi was added at the preparation time, and pH, bacteriocin activity, growth of lactic acid bacterial group and gas production in Kimchi were examined during the fermentation at 10, 20 and 30$\circ$C . The pH of Kimchi fell rapidly to 4.0~4.2 in the early fermentation stage, and then, has gone down very slowly throughout further fermentation. The lactic acid bacte- ria, particularly lactobacilli and leuconostoc, were remarkably slower in its growth than those in the control. Although the patterns of these change during fermentation at different temperatures were similar, these effects by the addition of starter were enhanced at 10 and 20$\circ$C. The bacteriocin activity was increased rapidly during log phase of the bacteriocin producer strain in the early fermentation stage of Kimchi and reached their maximum after fermentation at 10$\circC, for 8 days and at 20 or 30$\circ$C for 2 days. Thereafter, the activity disappeared quickly. The gas production by fermentation was also suppressed considerably, and their volume produced after fermentation at 20$\circ$C for 14 days corresponded to 60% of those of the control.