Changes in physicochemical property and lactic acid bacterial community during kimchi fermentation at different temperatures

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the change in physicochemical properties and lactic acid bacterial communities during kimchi fermentation at different temperatures (8, 15, and 25oC) using two molecular genetics approaches, multiplex polymerase chain reaction and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The pH during fermentation at 8, 15, and 25oC decreased from 6.17 on the initial fermentation day to 3.92, 3.79, and 3.48 after 54, 30, and 24 days of fermentation, respectively, while the acidity increased from 0.24% to 1.12, 1.35, and 1.54%, respectively. In particular, the levels of lactic acid increased from 3.74 g/L on the initial day (day 0) to 14.43, 20.60, and 27.69 g/L during the fermentation after 24, 18, and 12 days at 8, 15, and 25oC, respectively, after that the lactic acid concentrations decreased slowly. The predominance of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in the fermented kimchi was dependent on fermentation stage and temperature: Lactobacillus sakei appeared during the initial stage and Leuconsotoc mesenteroides was observed during the optimum-ripening stage at 8, 15, and 25oC. Lac. sakei and Lactobacillus plantarum grew rapidly in kimchi produced at 8, 15, and 25oC. In addition, Weissella koreensis first appeared at days 12, 9, and 6 at 8, 15, and 25oC of fermentation, respectively. This result suggests that LAB population dynamics are rather sensitive to environmental conditions, such as pH, acidity, salinity, temperature, and chemical factors including free sugar and organic acids.