Role of combinated lactic acid bacteria in bacterial, viral, and metabolite dynamics during fermentation of vegetable food, kimchi

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in kimchi, a traditional Korean food, are major fermentative microorganisms affecting the quality, safety, and nutritional and organoleptic properties of the final product. In this study, we determined the role of three key LAB strains, Leuconostoc gelidum, Latilactobacillus sakei, Weissella koreensis originated from different raw ingredients during natural fermentation, as opposed to an axenic environment. Starter cultures were inoculated into food with wild indigenous microbial communities, and the dynamics of bacterial communities and metabolites were analyzed during fermentation. As bacteriophages within the food viral community directly affect fermentation by influencing bacterial function and composition, the diversity and composition of DNA viral communities were compared with those of corresponding bacterial communities using a metagenomic approach. Our results provide insights into the ecological role of LAB starters in food fermentation and the potential impact of bacteriophages as modulators of bacterial communities associated with the fermentation properties of kimchi.