Probiotic properties of lactic acid bacteria isolated from Mukeunji, a long-term ripened kimchi

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from mukeunji was screened for characterization of beneficial properties required as probiotics. Among the isolates from mukeunji, 5 LAB strains were selected due to their high levels of tolerance to simulated gastric fluid. These strains were identified by using SDS-PAGE of whole cell protein pattern and 16S rDNA sequencing. Subsequently, it was found that 2 isolates, Lactobacillus brevis C1 and Lactobacillus plantarum G4 among the 5 isolates were highly resistant to bile cytotoxicity in terms of survival rate, 162.2 and 114.3%, respectively. According to the results of in vitro adhesion assay, Lb. brevis C1, Lb. plantarum G4, and Lactobacillus sakei N1 had higher numbers of adhesion to Caco-2 epithelium cells than that of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, a well known probiotic. None of the isolates produced a carcinogenic enzyme, β-glucuronidase. In addition, Lb. brevis C1 and Lb. plantarum G4 exhibited high levels of DPPH scavenging capacity. These results suggest that 2 isolates from mukeunji, Lb. brevis C1 and Lb. plantarum G4 may have potential for food products as probiotics because they showed high levels of bile acid tolerance and probiotic properties.