Multifunctional properties of strains WiKim83 and WiKim87 as a starter culture for fermented food.

This study aimed to evaluate the safety (hemolysis and enzyme activity), probiotic properties (gastrointestinal tract tolerance, adhesion, hydrophobicity, and auto-aggregation), and functional characteristics (antimicrobial, antioxidant, and -galactosidase activities) of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), isolated from kimchi, in order to select a multifunctional LAB strain for starter culture in fermented food. The five isolated strains included WiKim83, . WiKim84, WiKim85, . WiKim86, and . WiKim87, as identified by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis; they were confirmed to be nonhemolytic and not able to produce -glucuronidase, a carcinogenic enzyme. Probiotic properties of the five LAB strains were evaluated relative to those of commercial GG, and results revealed probiotic potential of three strains (. WiKim83, . WiKim84, and . WiKim87) to be superior. . WiKim84 showed high antimicrobial activity against pathogens, and . WiKim83 exhibited the highest antioxidant and -galactosidase activities. Based on the probiotic and functional properties, the main characteristics of each strain were highlighted and two of them, . WiKim83 and . WiKim87, were selected as the most potent by principal component analysis. These strains showed antimicrobial, -galactosidase, and antioxidant activities, which recommend their suitability as starter culture in various fermented foods.