Effects of total microbiota-containing backslop from 450-day-fermented kimchi on microbe and metabolite dynamics

Dongjun Kim; Seong-Eun Park; Juhan Pak; Joon Yong Kim; Tae Woong Whon; Kwang-Moon Cho; Suryang Kwak; Hong-Seok Son; Seong Woon Roh

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.142420

Effects of total microbiota-containing backslop from 450-day-fermented kimchi on microbe and metabolite dynamics

Food Chem. 2024 Dec 9:468:142420. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.142420. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Dongjun Kim¹, Seong-Eun Park², Juhan Pak², Joon Yong Kim¹, Tae Woong Whon³, Kwang-Moon Cho⁴, Suryang Kwak⁵, Hong-Seok Son⁶, Seong Woon Roh⁷

Affiliations

¹ Microbiome Research Institute, LISCure Biosciences Inc., Gyeonggi-do 13488, Republic of Korea.
² Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
³ Kimchi Functionality Research Group, World Institute of Kimchi, Gwangju, 61755, Republic of Korea.
⁴ Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583-0722, United States.
⁵ Department of Bio and Fermentation Convergence Technology, College of Science and Technology, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea.
⁶ Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁷ Microbiome Research Institute, LISCure Biosciences Inc., Gyeonggi-do 13488, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 39693884
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.142420

Abstract

This study examines the impact of the complex microbiota from long-term fermented kimchi, used as a backslop, on fermentation dynamics. The fermentation was conducted with autoclaved (group A) and non-autoclaved (NA) starter cultures. Bacterial and fungal communities were analyzed with 16S rRNA gene V4 and ITS2 region, respectively, and metabolites were profiled using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In the group NA, Levilactobacillus dominated at 64.3 % by day 5, while Pediococcus reached 57.4 % by day 50. Principal coordinate analysis showed that bacterial communities in both the starter culture and samples of the group NA became similar by the end of the fermentation (day 100); however, no significant differences were found in fungal community. Principal component analysis revealed distinct metabolite profiles, explaining 68.7 % of variability on PC1, with each group clustered separately by day 100. These results suggest that inoculating with microbiota from long-term fermentation can rapidly produce foods with desirable characteristics.

Keywords: Fermented food; Metabolite profile; Metabolomics; Metataxonomics; Microbial diversity; Starter culture.