Effect of Bacteriophages on Viability and Growth of Co-cultivated Weissella and Leuconostoc in Kimchi Fermentation

Among the microorganisms involved in kimchi fermentation, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play the most important role.LAB produce lactic acid, acetic acid, ethanol, carbonic acid gas, aldehydes, and so on, giving kimchi its unique flavor [1].The LAB present in kimchi tend to vary such that those involved in initial and late fermentation sequentially grow and influence each other [2].Different raw materials, ingredients, and fermentation conditions have been suggested to significantly affect LAB profiles during kimchi fermentation [3,4].In addition to LAB, several types of LAB bacteriophages have been detected and isolated during kimchi fermentation.During cheese fermentation, the bacteriophages deter fermentation by stopping milk acidification [5].Recently, studies on the control of food production during fermentation through the control of LAB bacteriophages have been conducted [6].In pickle fermentation, the bacteriophages of Weissella, Leuconostoc, and Lactobacillus were detected sequentially [7].Therefore, it was expected that bacteriophages might affect the succession of lactic acid bacteria [8,9].Bacteriophages are viruses that infect specific bacterial hosts and are known to outnumber bacteria ten-fold, estimated at over 10 31 bacteriophages globally [10].Bacteriophages exhibit two life cycles: lytic and lysogenic.