Effect of a Leuconostoc mesenteroides strain as a starter culture isolated from the kimchi

To investigate the effect of starter isolated from kimchi, we selected the most effective strain among the 121 strains examined and identified the strain as Leuconostoc mesenteroides LK93 through 16S rDNA sequencing. This strain exhibited resistance to acid and bile salts with good survival capacity and showed antimicrobial and antifungal activity. We investigated the effects of starter on kimchi fermentation. The kimchi was fermented at 25°C for 25 d. Furthermore, the LK93 strain was examined for its ability to inhibit the growth of film-forming yeast. It was determined that the LK93 strain could be a potential starter in kimchi.