Development of Kimchi Supplemented with Probiotics strains Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus paracasei.

This research study investigated the microbiological, physical chemistry, and sensory properties of kimchi supplemented with probiotic strains L. acidophilus and L. paracasei, with and without antimicrobial agents, over a storage period of 3 months. Measurements were taken at intervals of 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 days. The analysis revealed a decrease in the number of lactic acid bacteria in both types of kimchi supplemented with L. acidophilus over the storage period (p < 0.05), with a reduction of ≥ 3 log CFU/g by day 90. Similarly, while both types of kimchi supplemented with L. paracasei showed a decrease in lactic acid bacteria over 90 days of storage period (p < 0.05), they maintained levels of ≥ 6 log CFU/g by day 90. The pH analysis showed that kimchi supplemented with L. paracasei without antimicrobial agents had the lowest pH value on day 90 at 3.83 (p < 0.05), while titratable acidity (TA) was highest at 1.17 (p < 0.05). The survival rates of L. acidophilus and L. paracasei in simulated gastric fluid containing 0.3% pepsin were 60 ± 0.5% and 93 ± 0.0%, respectively. In a 1% saline solution, the survival rates of L. acidophilus and L. paracasei were 60 ± 0.6% and 90 ± 0.5%, respectively. Sensory testing indicated an increase in sourness over the storage period, which did not affect consumer acceptance. This study indicated that L. paracasei showed promising results for developing probiotic-enriched kimchi products and has potential applications in probiotic-fortifying food products.