Lactobacillus pingfangensis sp. nov., Lactobacillus daoliensis sp. nov., Lactobacillus nangangensis sp. nov., Lactobacillus daowaiensis sp. nov., Lactobacillus dongliensis sp. nov., Lactobacillus songbeiensis sp. nov. and Lactobacillus kaifaensis sp. nov., isolated from traditional Chinese pickle

Seven novel lactic acid bacterial strains, isolated from traditional Chinese pickle, were characterized using a polyphasic approach, including 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, pheS gene sequence analysis, rpoA gene sequence analysis, determination of DNA G+C content, determination of average nucleotide identity (ANI), in silico DNA-DNA hybridization (isDDH), fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis and an analysis of phenotypic features. Strains 382-1(T), 116-1A(T), 381-7(T), 203-3(T), 218-3(T) and 398-2(T) were phylogenetically related to the type strains of Lactobacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum, Lactobacillus plantarum subsp. argentoratensis, Lactobacillus pentosus, Lactobacillus paraplantarum, Lactobacillus fabifermentans, Lactobacillus herbarum, Lactobacillus mudanjiangensis, Lactobacillus xiangfangensis, Lactobacillus plajomi and Lactobacillus modestisalitolerans, having 97.1-99.9% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, less than 89.9% pheS gene sequence similarities, less than 98.0% rpoA gene sequence similarities, less than 91.2% ANI values and less than 43.3% isDDH values. Strain 778-3(T) was phylogenetically related to the type strains of Lactobacillus hokkaidonensis, Lactobacillus wasatchensis, Lactobacillus oligofermentans, Lactobacillus nenjiangensis, Lactobacillus vaccinostercus and Lactobacillus suebicus, exhibiting 97.0-99.4% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, 78.2-82.1% pheS gene sequence similarities, 80.0-91.5% rpoA gene sequence similarities, less than 78.6% ANI values and less than 22.9% isDDH values. Based upon the data of polyphasic characterization obtained in the present study, seven novel species, Lactobacillus pingfangensis sp. nov., Lactobacillus daoliensis sp. nov., Lactobacillus nangangensis sp. nov., Lactobacillus daowaiensis sp. nov., Lactobacillus dongliensis sp. nov., Lactobacillus songbeiensis sp. nov. and Lactobacillus kaifaensis sp. nov., are proposed and the type strains are 382-1(T) (=NCIMB 15187(T)=CCM 8935(T)=LMG 31176(T)), 116-1A(T) (=NCIMB 15181(T)=CCM 8934(T)=LMG 31171(T)), 381-7(T) (=NCIMB 15186(T)=CCM 8930(T)), 203-3(T) (=NCIMB 15183(T)=CCM 8933(T)=LMG 31172(T)), 218-3(T) (=NCIMB 15184(T)=CCM 8932(T)=LMG 31173(T)), 398-2(T) (=NCIMB 15189(T)=CCM 8931(T)=LMG 31174(T)) and 778-3(T) (=NCIMB 15191(T)=CCM 8929(T)=LMG 31177(T)), respectively.