Abstract The major lactic acid bact

Abstract The major lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains in
cabbage-kimchi and their origins were investigated by
single component omission analysis. Cabbage-kimchi samples
were prepared by omitting each of the ingredients (garlic,
ginger, chive, red pepper, and fish sauce), and microbial
dynamics were monitored during fermentation. Fingerprinting
analysis, using polymerase chain reaction denaturing gradient
gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE), and sequencing of the
PCR products, revealed that Leuconostoc citreum, Weissella
cibaria, W. confusa, and Lactococcus lactis were the
predominant species present in kimchi after 3 days of
fermentation. Of these, Leuconostoc sp. and Weissella sp.
were mainly derived from garlic. Similar analyses confirmed
the presence of Leuconostoc spp., Weissella sp., and
Lactobacillus sp. in various garlic products (mainly peeled
garlic). These results demonstrate that garlic is an important
constituent among raw ingredients since it provides LAB
for the early stages of cabbage-kimchi fermentation.
Keywords: cabbage-kimchi, Lactic acid bacteria, PCRDGGE,
Leuconostoc species, Weissella species